In My Veins
by Xpages-written-in-the-starsX
Summary: Makaylah was lucky to get out of Beacon Hills. After the death of Laura Hale, and the return of the Argent family, she's forced to return home and face old ghosts from her past; the man she loved in high school and the bitch that murdered those closest to her, all while facing off with the Alpha and trying so hard not to fall back in love with Derek Hale. Derek/OC. Future Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

I only own Makaylah! 1x04.

* * *

"Shit!" It isn't the first time I've cursed out my tire.

I slam my palms against the steering wheel before pressing my forehead into it with an upset groan. I don't know how long I sit there, the rain pelting against my Dodge Ram, before fingers rap on my window and I glance up to find the sheriff's flashlight and face.

I roll down the glass.

"Hello, Sheriff Stilinski." I mumble politely.

"I don't recognize you. How do you know me?" He replies in shock.

"You busted me and Camden Lahey for skinny dipping in the pool at BHS my senior year."

"My God. Makaylah Duchannes?" He smiles broadly at me. The older man swings open the door and hugs me. His wife, Ava, babysat me when I was a child.

"Let me look at you." He takes my hands and I step back, "You look like your mama."

"Thank You. And look at you! You've lost weight."

"Not much. What are you doing just sitting here in the rain?"

"My tire split," I wrinkle my nose, "I was headed to Beacon Hills Inn. I'm staying there until I find an apartment in my price range."

"Cancel your reservation. You're like family—you can stay with Stiles and I. He needs someone to keep him out of trouble anyhow." I laugh at his words.

"How is he?"

"He's hyperactive. He makes your teenage years look less wild." The blonde haired Sheriff pulls a picture from his wallet while we're soaked with rain.

My hand flies up to my mouth in surprise.

"That's him? Little Stiles?" I reply.

"He's only a few years younger than you. Not that little." He smiles. I slip into the front seat of the cruiser after arguing about him taking my bags for me. My fingers play with my necklace as I stare straight ahead.

The memory of soft lips hungrily moving down my throat as my best friend's fingers unbuttoned my jeans flashes through my mind.

"You still wear that necklace? You've had that since you were 13."

"I love it, still."

The Triskele hanging from my neck hasn't rusted or faded at all. It still stands out; white silver against blue glass.

We pull up to a vaguely familiar two story house with olive green siding, and hurry inside.

"Stiles! Come here for a second."

"Coming dad!" A deeper voice than the last time I saw him calls as feet thunder down the steps.

He freezes when he sees me. Stiles Stilinski is a rail thin, pale skinned, black haired teen, with his mother's brown eyes. I glance down at myself and realize why his heartbeat is uneven.

My black muscle tee is clinging to my body, showing the tanned skin from my navel to the top of my clinging denim shorts that barely cover my ass. All my clothes are soaked through. My waterfall braid is ruined.

"Hi," He chokes.

"Stiles," I smile.

"Do I know you?"

"Well, I did babysit you when your mom was sick."

"Makaylah? Oh My God." He runs across the room and hugs me tightly. He's so much taller than me that he literally has to pick me up. I giggle like a teenager, turning my head to kiss him on the cheek.

"You're so grown up!" I say as he sets me down, holding my hands in his.

"You haven't seen me in 7 years, of course I look different. You're even prettier than you were back then."

"Thanks, Kid," I tap his chin with my fingertip. He grins, jogging outside to carry one of my suitcases in. Stiles leads me into a small bedroom with cream colored walls and a large bed with navy sheets. It's perfect for me.

"So, what are you doing back in Beacon Hills?" He asks, sitting at the edge and facing me.

"I got my Master's degree in Dance last year. I did background dance for awhile after that. I just got hired full time at BHHS. I teach ballroom and hip hop, and am coaching the dance team."

"Wow. You've done a lot for being so young."

"22 isn't exactly young," I tease, patting his cheek patronizingly, "You don't mind if I change, do you?"

"You're actually comfortable?" He swallows heavily.

"I changed your diapers when I was nine, Stiles. You're like my little brother, so of course I don't mind. Do you?" I smirk at him.

"N–N–No," he turns his head away from me. I strip my shirt off easily, unbuttoning my shorts and wriggling them down my legs. Stiles looks at me; I can feel his eyes on me. Typical teenage boy.

I comb my fingers through my hair and turn to face him clad only in a plain black push-up bra and panties.

"Stiles, can you toss me my duffel bag? All my clothes are in it." He gulps as he hands it to me, looking me up and down almost imperceptibly before angling his whole body away. I dig through the bags until I find a tank top and cotton shorts.

"Thanks. You can look now." I murmur, sitting with my back against the headboard, my necklace dangling down in stark contrast to the dark shirt.

"Hey, I've seen that before! Derek Hale has that tattoo." His name makes my stomach churn, and I spring to my feet.

"How do you know Derek?" I snap, "Stiles, I want you to stay away from him. Do you understand me?"

The dark haired boy stands up and closes the door before answering; "Why, because he's a werewolf?"

I stiffen, glaring at him levelly.

"You—You know?" I manage.

"Yeah. Are you a wolf too?" His brown eyes to wide.

"Yeah, Stiles," I nod, "You're perceptive."

"Well, my best friend's one. It's easy to see when you recognize it. You came in and immediately checked every direction for exits."

"Please don't tell anyone, Sti, please?" I take both hands.

"I promise. So, I guess I'll see you at school in the morning?"

"Night," I agree as he walks out and closes the door behind him. My eyes lock in the pendant as I twist it in my fingers, touching my free fingers to my bottom lip.

Derek's teeth tugging on it as my legs wrapped around his hips flashes through my head. I should've come when my sister told me Laura died instead of waiting until the last possible moment. I set my alarm, curl up under the comforter, and fall asleep with a prayer that work will go smoothly tomorrow morning.


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't own this! Just Makaylah and other OC's!_

* * *

I dream about the night of the fire.

_The sky was navy; at the edge of day and night. It'd been three weeks since my friendship with Derek ended. Because of Kate—I let him know we weren't going to be friends anymore if he stayed with her. I didn't want to go to the lacrosse game, but, Laura insisted I let her come do my makeup and hair and go with her._

_I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, playing with the caramel curls she'd so meticulously done. I couldn't recognize myself; my lower lip looked fuller compared to the top with sticky bubblegum pink lipgloss, my pale skin looking flawless, and the black eyeliner giving my green eyes a wider innocent shape. I wore my tight BHHS Cyclones hoodie with tight jeans. I was fourteen, Derek was sixteen, and Laura was eighteen. _

_"You look amazing. Laura, you're incredible." My sister, Myra, said from her lounging position on my arm chair._

_Tears blurred my vision, and I swiped a stray tear away as we piled into the Black Jetta that Talia and Jared gave Laura as a present. My fingers curled around my necklace, eyes on my sneakers._

_'Swing' by Savage came on—a song we all loved. As we pulled up in the parking lot, my stomach sank._

_I trudged with the other two girls to the front row, right behind the team._

_I had a little crush on Camden Lahey, too._

_"Hey, Camden," I called through cupped hands. He turned to look at me with blue eyes. Derek whipped around at the sound of my voice._

_"Hey, Gorgeous." Camden replied smoothly and climbs over the back of the bench with several other guys from the team, pulling me into a hug. I giggled, turning my head to peck him on the cheek._

_I could see Derek over Cam's shoulder, gripping his knee with white knuckles. Good. He was angry too._

_"What will you give the guy who makes the winning goal?" The Lahey boy wrapped both arms around my lower back as he said it. I smirked._

_"I'll kiss whichever one of the Cyclones makes the winning goal." I replied, batting my eyelashes. All of the boys perked up at my words—Derek included. I finally looked at him straight on, for the first time in days._

_His teal eyes were narrowed at Camden, jealousy evident. He was still heartbreakingly gorgeous, with that windswept black hair, the tense werewolf-built muscles in his shoulders. I bit my bottom lip painfully as I looked at him._

_I may have been fourteen years old, but I wanted him more than anything my entire life. I wanted to press my fingers into the muscles and pull him flat against me._

_Camden leaned into my ear and said "I'm going to get that kiss, Makaylah."_

_I shuddered as he stepped away from me. Myra elbowed me knowingly. I winked at her. We were on our feet with the rest of the crowd once the game started._

_After their second game's goal, the game was more aggressive than normal between our Co–Captains. The Co–Captains were Derek and Camden and they were arguing, the Werewolf in Derek threatening to surface. _

_Derek pushed Cam, dangerously close to exploding. Both glanced at me. I isolated their voices._

_"She's not that kind of girl. Camden, you seriously can't take advantage of her like that."_

_"Why not? She's into me and I want her. Tight little body. I bet she's a virgin. Is that what you're pissed about, Hale? That I'm going to get my hands on her first?"_

_"Shut up! I care about her and if you touch her..."_

_"I'm going to touch her first."_

_"Not if I get that goal," Derek snarled, sprinting and making a goal. Laura whooped. I was watching both boys. We all knew they were both the superstars of the team. They took turns making goals until there were ten seconds left. My stomach was knotted up._

_I hid my face in my sister's shoulder, terrified. The buzzer went off and the bleachers were roaring. When I looked up, Cam and Derek were crossing the field._

_"Hale won," Camden mumbled angrily. Their team circles us in. Derek's eyes never looked away from my face—gauging my reaction to the idea._

_I crossed my arms as he approached me. After everything, after choosing Kate, he wanted me to kiss him?_

_"You want me to kiss you, Derek? Fine. Here." I snarled, kissing my knuckles and slamming my fist into his jaw. He reels back in surprise. _

_I felt tears running down my cheeks, and I sprinted away from the school, through the woods, until I made it home. My parents were staying at my Uncle's house in LA. _

_So, I scaled the wall, crawled through my half–open window and flung myself onto my bed. The tears came harder now, and I sobbed into my pillow._

_I jumped at knocking on the door, claws out._

_"Makaylah, please open up." Myra said and I locked the handle._

_"Go away," I said loud enough for her to hear._

_"Kaylah, something happened to the Hales. I need you to open the door." My stomach dropped and I let her in._

_"What? What happened?"_

_"Someone knew they'd be inside tonight...Makaylah, one of the Hunters burnt the house down with everyone inside. Laura and Derek are okay, and Peter's been pulled out."_

_"What about little Cora?" Tears brimmed in my sister's eyes and she shook her head. I covered my mouth with both hands and sunk to the floor._

_"Please, just get out. I need to be alone right now." I managed to say. Crying, Myra disappeared. I couldn't cry in front of anyone—it's a sign of weakness. _

_I climbed into my empty shower, sinking to the ground. Sobs wracked my body and my breathing turned into hyperventilation. I drew my knees to my chest and rocked._

_I don't know how long I sat there before the door swung open and I was pressed against Derek's chest. He carried me into my room and lowered us to the bed—him under me._

_"I thought I lost you," I breathed, kissing every inch of his face before mine buried in the skin of his throat._

_"It was Kate." He mumbles, setting his hands on my hips, "Kate killed my family. Oh, God this is all my fault."_

_The sixteen year old boy buried his face into my shoulder and sobbed. I ran my fingers through his hair._

_"No, it's not." I replied._

_"Yes it is. You warned me about Kate and I didn't listen. I'm so sorry, MK." He blurted out, one hand splaying between my shoulders, the other reaching up and closing his long fingers around the necklace he gave me. _

_The feel of his knuckles brushing against my chest caused my breath to hitch._

_"Do you hate me?" He asks, forehead pressing into mine._

_"I still care about you, Derek. I'm just not president of your fan club at the moment." I brushed my lips against his._

_"MK..." He managed to say before his fingers close around the back of my neck and pulled my face to his. I groaned, kissing back. It was my first real kiss._

_I rolled my hips against his, needing to feel him—needing to feel friction._

_"Please," he breathed, reaching for the hem of my shirt and tugging it over my head. I lifted my arms to help him. His hot mouth descended onto my chest, just above my bra._

_"Derek," I half-moaned, half-protested._

_"I need you. Please? I need to be as close to you as I can get." He pleaded, pain in his teal eyes. I gave in with an almost violent kiss. I took the jersey over his head, and then his hands moved up my back to reach for clasp on my bra. I jumped off him, nervous as hell._

_Derek stepped up behind me, hands rested on my hips. His mouth moved hungrily down my throat while his hands rested on my hipbones._

_"Do you want me to stop?" He murmured in my ear._

_"No, I'm just afraid that I won't...feel good...to you after her." I whispered._

_"Makaylah, you're ten thousand times better than her." The use of my full name made me moan, my head lolling back onto his shoulder. His teeth and tongue attacked the other side of my neck while Derek's hands moved downward and unbuttoned my jeans._

I wake up to my alarm blaring, still feeling his mouth on my skin.

It's 4:00 AM. I always go out this early—to the dance studio. Pulling my hair up into a ponytail, pulling on a pair of basic biker shorts with a tight white under armor shirt, I walk down the stairs.

I try to keep silent as I dig for a sharpie and write them a note to tell them I've gone early. Taking a deep breath, I shift and run as fast as I'm physically able to. When I reach the house, it strikes me all over again. The charred, burnt remains of a house I half grew up in. It used to be beautiful.

I stiffen as Derek's sharp scent enters my nose, but follow it into the house. I walk into the sitting room, remembering playing with Cora.

"Oh, how cute. Still pining over him?"

I spin to face the intruder. I snarl inwardly as I see the Bitch with two bastards flanking either side. I decide to play dumb.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" I respond impatiently.

"Don't play stupid. Derek Hale. Where is he?"

"I haven't spoken to Derek in years. Why would I know where he is? You can check my pulse if you don't believe me, Kate. I came here to remember my best friend."

She pulls out a cow prod and strikes me with it. I scream, thrashing on the floor. Kate laughs and stomps on my chest. I hear a wet crack and cry out in agony. A roar echoes around me and the prod flares with effect. When I roll over to look at him, I gasp. Derek. Grown-up Derek. And I thought he was sexy as hell when we were teenagers. Damn.

He pounces at my attacker and she shocks him. The dark haired man collapses beside me on the floor.

"Derek," I say, quietly and determinedly, crawling until I reach him. My fingers reach forward to close around his bicep—which has grown significantly—and help him sit up against the burnt wall, keeping my fingertips on his hard skin.

"Are you okay?" I murmur. He shrugs, eyes locked deadly on Kate who is appraising him like a piece of meat.

"This one grew up in all the right places. I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." She says, moving closer to him. My hands fist at my sides, and I growl warningly.

Another laugh comes from her throat.

"You didn't scare me before, you don't scare me now." She replies.

"Even out the fight, bitch, and we'll see how much I scare you!"

I go to stand but Derek grabs my arm and pulls me back to the ground—the flesh of his arm pressing against mine. My heartbeat speeds up at it, a sudden desire to feel all of his skin on mine flaring up inside of me. Damn him!

I glance over at him, trying to steady my heart.

"MK, stop," he says, fingers wrapping around my wrist. I do.

I don't go after her until she opens her mouth and says "Are you his bitch now or something?"

He fully restrains me now, both strong arms wrapped firmly around my stomach. I struggle against him.

And I find myself still enjoying being that close to him. That, I hate even more. I hate feeling so attracted to him.

"Let me go, Derek! She killed Laura—please let me kill her!" I growl with my eyesight stronger. I've shifted. At my words it's like I slap him.

"We didn't kill her, Derek." She replies in bored voice.

"Why should I believe you?" He snarls. When he leans forward over my shoulder to speak, his chest fully presses against my back. I bite back a moan.

"Listen to my heartbeat and you can tell me if I'm lying. We. Didn't. Kill. Your. Sister." Her face drifts closer to his with ever word, over my shoulder. She's telling the truth, for once. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one hunter hand Kate a large gun.

I lace my fingers through Derek's and pull him out of the house seconds before the machine gun fires. We run through the woods until we're far enough away.

Not realizing I've stopped, he knocks me over by mistake and we both land on the forest floor with him on top of me. The last time we were like this was the night of the fire, so long ago. Eight years ago.

"Makaylah..." He murmurs my name, fingers gliding along the sliver of skin just above the hem of my shorts. I gasp at the heat that spreads through every single inch of my body from the simple touch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I growl, the anger of the last time I saw him resurfacing.

"Touching you." He says, moving his teal eyes to the skin and back to mine. I shove him away from me.

"I have to get to work." I mumble, sprinting until I've reached BHHS. My heart still pounds at the thought of him. Holy hell. Anger mixed with adrenaline from his fingers on my skin causes my heart to pound._ Damn him! Damn him to Hades!_

Waking up after mind-blowing sex all night to find him gone with no explanation that night gives me a reason to be pissed at him. Laura called me every few months and Derek tried to talk to me, but I refused to talk to him for obvious reasons.

Calming myself, I take a deep breath, put on my only smile—my fake one and walk into the gym to teach my first class.


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing!

* * *

"Everything that I can't say will fade away, and no-one knows what we were. Or what we could've been...

...What if we could go back to the beginning: where we went wrong? We went wrong and I, I've never been so cold. I've never been so alone. It's getting colder and colder.

Scream at the top of my lungs, tell you that we were wrong from the start. I'd say 'take back everything you said that you didn't mean; which was everything.'"

-To Be Juliet's Secret, **_Wrong From The Start_**.

I teach through my three hip hop classes with my mind fixed on Derek, and our unwanted run–in this morning. Most of them are freshman girls. The last class I have is my only couples' dancing class—which Stiles is in.

"Hi, Ms. Duchannes. I'm Stiles Stilinski." he says with a smile. I smile back, trying not to laugh.

"Hello, Stiles." I replied coolly. A messy black-haired boy beside him looks over at me with a wild, curious gaze. He's a Beta. Bitten by the Alpha.

"You must be Scott McCall. Finstock let me know that you would be with Stiles." He nods, giving me the same hot-for-teacher look I get when the rest of the males in the class trail in with lead feet.

One looks particularly cocky. The boy appraises me with the same regard Kate gave Derek. Like meat.

"Alright! You all need to sit down," I call over their voices. The boys instantly do as I ask obediently. The girls politely follow. Except for meat boy.

"Sit," I nod.

"What, are you going to punish me if I don't?" He replies in a suggestive and arrogant tone, openly looking at my chest.

"Shut up, Jackson!" Stiles bellows.

"Okay. One, eyes up here, Jackson. And two, you wish I would punish you you cocky little shit." The teens burst into shocked laughter at my words, "Now sit the hell down, or I'll make sure you don't play in your lacrosse game tonight."

He does, grumbling.

"Okay. First rule of my class is I don't want to be called 'Ms Duchannes.' That's my mother and my sister, not me. Call me Makaylah. Rule two; I won't take any of your shit. Jackson demonstrated my point five seconds ago. You respect me, I'll respect you. Understand?"

"Yes," they chorus.

"Third rule; I don't do paper assignments. All of them are participation. If you're absent, I expect you to come in during intervention in the morning and catch up on the steps you missed.

Here's my last rule; Follow basic school rules; phones, bullying, all that. Got it? Good. Okay. Right now, I want you to stand up when I read your name off of role. If you try to play me, I'll know. I have two younger twin brothers that are around your age."

I pick up my clipboard to read off the names. Only fourteen kids; 8 girls and 6 boys.

"Allison Ar–" I stiffen at the first last name on my list, "Allison Argent. Jennifer Arthur. Jenna Baker. Jason Balvin. Lisa Briggs. Jade Chambers. Mackenzie Griffin. Stephanie Jones. Danny Mahealani. Lydia Martin. Scott McCall. Shawn Nelson. Stiles Stilinski. And Jackson Whittemore." They're all standing patiently.

"Okay. I want you to stand with the person you'd like as your partner for this Quarter." Allison stands next to Scott, Lydia next to Jackson, Danny blushes but stands with a human girl, and then Stiles is left alone.

"Take a long, good look because you won't be dancing with this person for 9 more weeks. Which one of you boys want to be my partner?" 6 hands shoot up.

I smirk as I re-arrange couples. I pair the Argent with Jackson. Stiles with Lydia.

"Scott, you're stuck with me." I smile. The boys all groan unhappily.

"I'm going to teach you the first six steps of a swing routine. Does anyone have any idea how to swing dance, a general idea?"

Stiles raises his hand.

"Alright, Stiles. Get over here." I tease, bending down to switch on the music. He takes both hands, the way I taught him back when I babysat him, and dances right on timing with me–throwing spins in.

When we stop, the class claps.

I laugh at the terrified look on Scott's face. Teaching them is easy—most of them pick it up quickly. The bell rings, and I finally relax.

"Thanks for being such an easy class," I say at the end.

They trickle out and I walk out of the building, only to find him leaning up against a sleek black sportscar, waiting for me. My lips press into a hard line and I turn to walk past him. His long fingers close around my wrist and I crash into his chest.

"Please just leave me alone, Derek." I whisper, not trusting my voice. My pulse jumps erratically, my blood pounding and boiling through my veins.

"No. I've left you alone for eight years. Isn't that long enough?" He whispers in response. I look away from him, glancing at the cement.

"Makaylah, please talk to me." he begs in the same pained tone of voice that made me give in to him that night. One hand moves to the small of my back to pull me tighter against him. I whimper.

"Fine." I growl, "I'll go with you." Derek smirks at me before releasing my arm. I walk around the car and climb into the passenger seat.

We drive for God knows how long into the trees. I trace him with my eyes, taking in every inch of him within eyesight. My eyes stop on his bicep again, watching the muscle stretch and flex with steering the car.

"Why didn't you ever talk to me?" He growls.

"What?" I break free from my dazed ogling. It takes a moment to realize we've stopped.

"When Laura called you, you refused to talk to me. It killed me when you did that to me!" He doesn't waste time starting the conversation I prayed wouldn't happen.

"You wanna talk about being hurt? You used me for sex and then let me wake up alone!" I shout, turning in my seat to face him.

"You think I came to your house just for sex? I–I didn't. I just needed to be close to you and things got out of hand."

"Yeah, I know. You didn't have a condom and I ended up paying for it."

"What are you talking about? 'You had to pay for it'?"

"I...I can't." I can't say it. I've never said it aloud before. My eyes burn with the threat of tears.

"Did you get an STD?"

"No. Nothing like that." I tuck my hair behind my ear. He reaches forward and sets his large hand on my cheek. I shudder, jerking away. He flinches.

"Makaylah, I care about you. I always have."

"I. Don't. Believe. You." I reply through gritted teeth, "You chose Kate over me. I was in love with you, Derek. I had sex with you _**because**_ I loved you."

"You used to love me or you still do?" He challenges. I meet his dark teal gaze. He's moved closer to me, close enough I can almost feel his heart pounding through both our clothes. His breath washes over my lips.

"Makaylah, answer me. Are. You. Still. In. Love. With. Me?" His lips brush mine as he asks me again. I set both hands on his chest and push him away from me.

"Stop it." I breathe, the tears blurring my vision now. I choke them back, open the door, and get out of his car. I knew this was wrong.

He follows me, this time, backing me into a tree. Derek's lower body crushes mine.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I just...I missed you." He reaches up to run his finger along my jaw. I swallow heavily, ignoring the desire to pull him down to my level and kiss the hell out of him.

"Derek..." I trail off, "You scare the hell out of me." I shove him away from me once again. Without another word, I turn on my heels and walk into the woods.

I call the Sheriff and let him know I'll be staying with my sister for the night. Tomorrow is PT conference and I'm not required because of my limited amount of teaching time. Myra lives in a house in a small city 30 minutes from Beacon Hills called Blackfoot.

Myra opens the door seconds before I reach the handle. Her pregnant belly is rounded and large. I fling myself into her arms and hug her tightly.

"I missed you so much," she tells me. I smile.

"I missed you too. So, when's your due date?" I ask as we walk inside her home. Her arm rests lightly on my shoulders. Her husband, another Beta named Anthony, kisses me on the cheek.

"Hey, Tony. How are you?" I reply with a smile.

"Wonderful. Waiting for Little Laura to come." I look over at my sister at the name.

"Laura Christine Greyson." She nods. Naming my niece after our best friend.

"Speaking of the Hales..." I start, "I saw Derek."

She stiffens immediately. Anger drifts from her in waves.

"He–He's here? In Beacon Hills?"

"Yeah." I sit across from her at her kitchen table, turning an orange over in my fingers.

"Did you kick his ass?"

"No. We fought about what happened."

"And did you tell him?" She replies sourly. I don't have time to answer, my 15 year old twin brothers run into the room and each hug me with spinning me around in circles. I burst out giggling.

"When did you get so tall?" I tease, looking up at them. Ethan and Aiden both were born with the Beta gene, thankfully.

"While you were off being a dance big-shot at USC." Ethan teases, as Aiden sets me on his shoulders, my legs on either side. I laugh even harder.

"Put me down!" I flip gracefully from his back, landing on the balls of my feet. They look similar to my sister and I with our sepia brown hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin.

I don't say any more about Derek. Or the secret I'm so desperate to keep from him; the fact that I got pregnant the night of the fire and miscarried our baby.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own a thing.

(Derek POV)

"You're in my veins and I cannot get you out. You're all I taste at night inside of my mouth.

You run away cause I am not what you found. You're in my veins, and I cannot get you out."

-Andrew Belle, **In My Veins.**

I follow her scent until I reach a large, stately house with 9 heartbeats. Taking a deep breath to catch her scent, mingled with so many others, I pinpoint her. She's in the attic. Cursing at my own male stupidity, I scale the wall until I reach the window—barely large enough to squeeze through for me.

I glance at her, asleep and breathing evenly with her mane of brown hair fanned out around her. I can barely make out the shape of her lithe body. The window creaks as I make it through and land in a pile on the floor.

Why are you doing this to yourself? I think. She rolls over, and I hear the chink of metal meeting metal. Through the limited light in the room, a chain hangs loosely from her neck. My stomach jumps.

I crawl across the wooden floor until I can close my fingers around it. For the first time in years, a smile stretches across my face. I gave this to her, for her fourteenth birthday.

"Derek," she breathes my name and I freeze. But she simply continues to sleep. I lean in and press my lips against hers for a moment.

"I should shoot you, you know." A female voice says quietly from the doorway. Myra.

"I know. I'd shoot me too if I were in your place. But, I do love her. I've always loved her." I tell Laura's best friend. God, she looks old.

"You should have told her that. She cried for months after you left. Every time you called, she'd burst into tears and lock herself in her room for days. I'm still amazed she graduated." My chest aches, hollowly.

I made her cry. Maybe as much I cried over her, that first year that Laura and I were on the run. After the one time Makaylah answered long enough to tell me to tell me to go to hell, I pushed all those emotions away until she walked into my house this morning.

"I tried to talk to her, Myra. I didn't leave her by choice." I defend myself, "I know I should have stayed. I only left to protect her."

(Flashback—April, 2004)

_Makaylah collapsed on top of me, her body limp. Her breathing was short and her arms trembled as she tried to lift herself off of me. I rolled us over and pulled her closer, pecking her on the lips three times. Her fingers slipped into my hair and scraped my scalp._

_"M-Makaylah, if you keep doing that we're never going to get any sleep. We've been going at it for hours," I said, moving my fingers along the dip in her spine. She moaned quietly, as she'd been driving me insane by doing all night, but agreed. We both pulled her bedding around us and her cheek pressed against the left side of my chest, listening intently for something._

_"What?" I murmured._

_"Your heart's going slower then mine," she frowned before I could see the gears turning in her head and she smirked. The girl set her palm on my stomach, turned her head and started kissing my chest._

_I groaned as she flicked out her tongue, moving onto my stomach. When I saw her fingers move to pull the blanket away from my hips, I grabbed her wrists, pinned her under me._

_"You don't want me to?" She asked confusedly, pouting._

_"I'm a sixteen year old guy, of course I want you to. But, I'd rather sleep."_

_Her head rested against my skin again. I ran my fingers through her long hair, the curls nearly gone now._

_"Derek?" She mumbled, nearly asleep, "I love you." I stiffened, tightening my arms around her._

_"You shouldn't." I replied, but she was already asleep with her legs tangled through mine. I was going to hell. I took this young, innocent, beautiful girl I've loved for so long's virginity and I lost mine to Kate. I should've waited for her. This should've been my first time._

_"I love you, too." I whispered._

_I fell asleep with my nose buried in her hair, my arm wrapped around her bare waist._

_I woke up to someone tapping lightly on my shoulder. Laura was standing beside the bed. I tugged the sheet higher up to cover Makaylah's skinny body._

_"We need to go. Like, now. The Argents are combing the woods for us."_

_"Okay. Just give me a little while to say goodbye-"_

_"No. Now. If you wake her up, she'll want to come with us. I don't think you want her in danger." She had a point. I turned to look at her, leaned over and kissed her lightly before I pulled on all my clothes and followed my older sister out Makaylah's window._

**_(End)_**

"Laura told me what was going on with the Argents. But you could've made the choice to stay with her." Myra gestures to her younger sister.

I swallow heavily as she says "She was married, Derek. Four years ago."

"To who?" I growl at the thought of her being with someone else.

"Camden Lahey. But, Makaylah decided that she was still in love with you shortly after he went to Iraq for his second tour. She sent him divorce papers through the mail and a week later, we got the call. Camden committed suicide because of the papers. He loved my sister so much that when she told him she was in love with you, he couldn't handle it. The whole time, she wanted to see you. She wanted you to comfort her. God, it was like hell to watch. She doesn't have to work, she's covered for the rest of her life because Cam was in the Green Berets. Makaylah only dances because you and her used to. She loves you more than anything else for some damn stupid reason, even if she tries to make herself hate you."

"Why is she so angry with me if she loves me as much as you say?" Her eyes cast downward as I say it.

"Ask her about Baby Boy." Myra's voice breaks, looking pained.

I nod mutely. The bed creaks as Makaylah sits up. My heart pounds in my chest and my stomach drops into my feet.

"Myr? What's going o-" she freezes as she realizes who else is in the room, "Derek? Why are you standing in my bedroom?"

Before I can control it, I say: "Tell me about Baby Boy."

(Makaylah)

I turn to look at the traitor.

"How could you?" I whisper.

"I didn't tell him anything else about Baby Boy. Just the name." She weakly defends. I grit my teeth. _How am I supposed to tell him about our baby?!_

I slide on a pair of flip flops and cross the room, to him.

"I have something I need to show you," I whisper, holding my hand out. His fingers lace through mine and I lead him back to the window. We both drop and I start to stumble. His free arm curls around my waist to steady me.

"Lets walk." I tell him. Derek watches me out of the corner of his eye as we walk in silence toward Beacon Hills Memorial Cemetery. I turn my head to rest on his shoulder, taking in his scent again. He drapes his arm over mine in response. We keep our uneasy silence until we reach the gates. At this, I switch back to holding his hand. The night guard, Merrill, pokes his head out to see me.

"Oh! It's you. Came to see him again?" He asks knowingly. I nod and he allows us in. Taking a deep breath, I tug Derek until we reach the headstone.

"Baby Boy Hale.

2005-2005

Beloved son."

He reads out loud, in disbelief.

"Two months after you left, I found out I was pregnant. I hadn't heard from you or Laura yet and the police thought the two of you were somehow involved. I couldn't tell anyone that you were the father. So, Cam stepped up. Told everybody he was the father to protect you. We started hanging out a lot to make it seem real. When I was on my last month, I went shopping for some groceries for after the baby came at Walmart with him and I saw Kate...I-I miscarried. The doctors called it 'spontaneous abortion' triggered by stress. That was the night I told you to go to hell. Derek, this is our son. I couldn't bear to name him without you, so it's just 'Baby Boy'." I feel tears blurring my vision, rolling down my face. I expect him to be angry. To hate me. But, he surprises me by reaching out and pulling me against his chest and wrapping both arms around my shoulders. I snake mine around his abdomen. I feel his lips press against my hair.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here." He whispers, pulling back to rest his hands on my either side of my face, "Makaylah, I would've come home if you'd told me about the baby."

"I didn't want you to be with me just because you knocked me up! I only wanted you to be with me if you wanted to!" I scream.

"I wanted to! More than anything. Laura wouldn't let me come home. It was dangerous for you if I did. Kate wanted to finish killing off the rest of my family."

"Don't say her name. She killed our baby." I snarl.

"Why did you marry Camden?" He asks after a moment. Another word vomit.

"He was a distraction." I shrug, "I ended things because he wasn't you..."

Derek lunges forward and crashes his lips into mine. I don't respond at first. My arms wrap around his shoulders reflexively, pushing my tongue through his lips and exploring. He growls, sliding his hands down to the small of my back and hauling me against him. I grip his navy shirt with my fingers to keep myself pressed against him. I feel his fingers crawl up the back of my shirt, calloused palm against my skin. I moan as he pulls back and leaves open mouthed kisses on my throat—the same hungry way that he did the first time we were together. I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist and he backs me up until my back meets the back chain-link fence—unplotted graves beneath our feet. The second his tongue snakes out and touches mine we both groan.

That's when reality sets in and I push him away from me, panting for air.

"What the hell?" I snarl.

"You kissed me back," he says simply. I glare at him.

"I am not the stupid child that was in love with you anymore." I grumble.

"You still love me. I know you're too scared to admit it. But I'm not giving up on you. Not until one of us is buried in the ground." He whispers, cupping my face between his hands. I don't break away from him this time.

"Derek, we have much bigger problems than our relationship. The Alpha and the Hunters. We have to work together if we're going to stop them." I grip his wrists in my fingers.

"OK," he replies, stepping back. The wind picks up and I shiver. The gentleman his mother raised him as resurfaces as he slides his leather jacket over my shoulders.

"What do you do during the full moon?" He asks on the way back.

"I'm under control."

"Can you help me look for the Alpha?"

"Of course."

Once I reach my room at Myra's house, he leans in and kisses me once, roughly.

I start to hand him his jacket, but he refuses.

"Keep it. It looks better on you than me." He says before climbing out the window and leaving me sitting on my bed, exhausted.

* * *

My brothers come in after the sun rises, sitting on either side of me with Ethan's chin on my left shoulder, Aiden's head on my right.

"I can stay home with you, if you want." Ethan says. I kiss his temple.

"No. I have to go to work."

"Let me come with you. I can help teach your classes."

"Ethan, mama would kill you for skipping school."

"I told you she'd say no, dumbass." Aiden pushes his identical twin. I nudge him playfully.

"On second thought, yeah you can come with me. I only have two classes today, but you're on your own with the admin office at school." I grin, "Aiden, you don't have to come. You can go to school if you want,"

"Thanks," Aiden kisses my forehead before he climbs off the bed and rushes to finish getting ready.

"He has a new girlfriend that he can't go more than 24 hours without sucking face with." Ethan explains. I laugh.

"What about you? Do you have a Boyfriend?"

"How did you know? I haven't told anyone else that I'm..." He asks as he stands up.

"Ethan. You wear $45 Armani aftershave. It's a little obvious to your big sister." I stand up and hip check him. He rolls his eyes, but heads down the stairs to be fed. I still have to get dressed. Sprinting to the shower, I hurriedly scrub my skin and my hair.

"Hurry up, Makaylah!" Ethan shouts from the kitchen. I throw on a tank-top and jeans I borrowed from my sister's Pre-pregnancy clothes pile. Cursing inwardly, I tug Derek's jacket on over it.

Myra gives me a timid look when I come into the bacon-scented kitchen as if to ask if I'm still angry. I flashback to the kiss between Derek and I last night.

"I forgive you," I whisper as I slide into a seat.

Ethan keeps pace with me when we reach the high school. Thank God for the motorcycles mama bought them before Myra put her in the nursing home.

This time in my ballroom class, I'm missing 3 kids. Argent, Scott, and A boy called Shawn who, as Danny tells me, broke his collarbone at practice.

I pair Shawn's partner with Jackson and Ethan will be my stand-in partner. My brother is much more graceful than Stiles–both of us were born poised.

"OK, keep trying." I instruct them. Ethan stares over at one of the students in particular and when I follow the line of his eyes it leads to Danny. Danny stares right back.

"Ethan," I cough, "He's at school, don't distract him during class. And I heard him talking about his boyfriend yesterday."

His face falls but he nods.

When school's over for me and Ethan, after entering grades for all 155 students, I find Derek waiting for me again—this time by my car.

"Do you want me to kick his ass?" Ethan mutters in my ear.

"No, it's alright. Go home, Eth. I'll see you at dinner next Thursday." I go on my tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. My heels clack against the ground as I make my way over to him. His fingers grasp the front of his jacket on me and pull me flat against him. My palm lands on his sternum, over his heart and I gasp. He leans in and pecks my mouth—pulling away before I can slap him.

"Is that your way to say hello to me now?" I say breathlessly. He always makes me breathless, no matter how much I hate him. Derek's hands dive just barely under my shirt, moving across my stomach and hips.

"If I didn't think you'd slap me, I'd say it the same way I did last night." He brushes his nose along my jaw and I shiver. His whole body stiffens against mine as he looks over the top of my head.

"Derek? What's wrong?" I turn to see a man standing just outside a red SUV glaring at us. He's average height, with brown hair and facial hair, with blue eyes. Why does he look familiar?

The Beta's fingers fist on my hips, his eyes still locked in a deadly staring match.

"Get in the car, Makaylah," He snarls.

"Who is he?"

"Argent." He replies. I do as he asks, climbing into the passenger seat of my truck while Derek gets into the driver's seat. There's a low growl from the ground a few hundred yards away, and I glance into my mirror. A mountain lion bounds across the parking lot, past my car—away from the woods.

There's a pop and Argent is lowering his gun. I turn and look into teal eyes, my body trembling.

I've never been terrified of Hunters before, but one that is willing to pull out an assault rifle in front of humans, is a whole 'nother playing field. The Beta pulls out of the parking lot and once again takes me into the woods, more sinister from the dark navy sky.

I lace my fingers through Derek's and lean my head against his strong shoulder.

"I won't let him hurt you. I promise," Derek whispers, lifting me over the console and into his lap. I press my nose into his neck, my hands rested on his upper-arms.

His heart speeds up as erratically as mine as I brush a kiss across the soft skin of his throat. He groans almost inaudibly. I kiss my way up his neck and onto his jaw. It's reflexive. The pull I feel toward him still hasn't disappeared.

_I don't love him_, I tell myself, _I'm just still physically attracted to him. _I bolt upright and slide my palm beneath his shirt, across the sinewy skin.

"Makaylah, what are you doing?" He growls.

"Touching you," I repeat his words, moving my lips to the other side of his neck as my hands explore the more developed muscles since the last time I touched him this way. He moans, head turning to one side to bare his neck for me. Submitting to me. For wolves, it's a big deal. And for me, it makes him even sexier if possible. I duck my head down and bite him, rolling my hips against his. He reacts, his hips meeting mine roughly.

"We can't...you know..." I trail off against his shoulder.

"That's fine," he growls, pulling me into a needy kiss that sends heat through me.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you," I pant.

"I don't expect you to yet." He replies, running his hand through my hair.

I fall asleep curled up in his lap with his jacket around my shoulders.

Little do I know, someone watches us all night long.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own a thing.

* * *

"I had to let you in to feel that rush...I hate you when you're gone. I hate you turn me on. I hate the way I need you when I don't know where you are."

–Sick Puppies, **I Hate You.**

* * *

_ My back meets the leather seat and he crawls on top of me, kissing me feverishly. His hand slides up the front of my shirt and cups me through my bra. I moan, loudly, and he pulls my shirt over my head. The sticky, sweaty skin of his abdomen presses into mine._

_"I hate you," I breathe as his mouth moves down my skin, until he reaches my jeans and nearly rips the button open._

_"Do you do let every guy you hate touch you like this?" The Beta grumbles._

_"Yes—I don't hate any other guys." I reply with a smirk._

_"Then hate me some more," he growls, his rough tongue trailing back up my stomach and onto my chest. One set of pale fingers arches my back into him as the other unclasp my bra._

Then I wake up, disoriented. It takes me a moment to realize I'm seated in the star of my dream's lap. Damn. Stupid Sex-dream-inducing Werewolf. My breath stalls as he shifts in sleep, his belt brushing the zipper on my jeans.

Gulping and licking my lips, I reach up and run my fingertips down his jaw, across his cheekbones, his forehead, down to move fingers across his lips. He jumps slightly, beautiful eyes flashing open. It's still dark, still night.

"Morning," he slurs sleepily.

"Not quite," I shrug.

"Then why the hell are we awake?"

"I...Uh..." My pulse pounds.

"Your heart's racing, Kay. Are you alright?" He reaches up and tucks my hair behind my ear. I fight a moan.

"Dream," I explain with a breaking voice.

"What was it about?" His eyebrows contract. I bite my lip, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

"Us," I mutter. I can't say more than one word responses.

"Tell me what it was about," he replies concernedly. I watch his tongue sweep over his bottom lip and my pulse jumps again as I remember the feel of it on my chest and stomach. I can't take it anymore.

"This." Without warning, I snake my fingers into his hair and crash my lips onto his, letting him know just how worked up he's made me being close to me. He greedily kisses me back, mouth making familiar patterns as it moves with mine. Derek slides his hands into my back pockets and squeezes. I moan and lick his bottom lip the way he did moments ago.

"What was tha..." He stops himself, realizing exactly what I meant by it, "Oh! You dreamed about that?" His pulse jumps.

"I've been dreaming about that for the past eight years." I look away from him. His fingers close around my chin and turn me to face him and wraps his arms tightly around my waist.

"I haven't been with anyone else besides Camden." I admit, "And the sex was awful. It lasted about five minutes and he went to sleep without bothering to make sure that I...I..."

"Enjoyed it too?" He offers a euphism.

"Yeah. Not like you did." I study his eyes, gauging his reaction.

"Well," he smirks, "I'd never neglect you like that." He nips at my jaw suggestively, hands moving to rest between my shoulders. I smile in response, turning slightly to check my phone. My smile drops.

"Oh My God." I say, climbing back into my seat.

A long spiral is scratched into the hood of my truck. But that isn't the problem. Standing less than a foot from the sign is a monstrous, half wolf thing with glowing Red eyes. **_The Alpha. _**Derek reaches for his door handle to get out.

My hand shoots out and grasps his wrist to keep him still.

"Don't. Please, Derek?" I beg. He ignores me.

"I have to. He killed Laura. No–one else could've done it if the Argents didn't!" He shouts. I turn his head toward me and kiss him full on the mouth desperately.

"Please, stay in the truck with me." I breathe.

"Damn it." He grumbles, letting go.

"Don't move," I tell him, "He won't come closer if we don't move...God, how long has he been watching us?"

"All night I'm guessing. I mean, haven't you noticed there are no animals around? I don't even hear them in the distance, which means they've been running away from him for hours." I blush at the thought of anyone seeing Derek and I kissing like horny teenagers.

He links our fingers together, eyes trained on my face. They flash blue as he looks back at the front of my Dodge Ram. The Alpha hasn't shifted or blinked or looked anywhere else—just stares at me.

It's eerie.

There's a flash of movement and his brown face presses into my window. My claws come out and a roar tears through my throat. Protective is the feeling that flows through me and flattens out any and all fear. He runs. An Alpha could probably eat me for lunch, and he ran like a scared little girl.

"You scared him off," Derek frowns.

"I-I guess so. Can you please take me home? I'm staying at Sheriff Stilinski's house." The tension that had built up before we saw the Alpha drains away—into the same anger that was there before. He sighs angrily, sensing my quick change of emotions.

"Fuck," he growls, opening the door and slamming it shut forcefully behind him. I've never heard him curse like that, not even in bed. I follow him this time.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! The Derek I knew wouldn't talk to me like that!"

"I'm not the Derek you knew!" He rounds on me, "He was a stupid child that fell for a woman playing games. I'm not a child anymore and neither are you. You're acting like Kate right now; playing this damn tease game."

I slap him, fully shifted.

"You are such a jackass. How dare you compare me to Kate! Is that what you did when you were _fucking_ me? Comparing me to her?" I growl, my face drifting closer to his as I say the curse word I've never been pissed enough to use, "I hate you so damn much." I hiss, turning on my heels to walk away from him again. He growls again, and slams me roughly against a tree.

"Stop pretending. You don't hate me, you love me."

"Not if this is how you're going to be from now on. I don't love you cussing at me and treating me like this. When you grow up and stop deflecting your anger onto me, then maybe we'll talk." I dig my claws into his arm and drag them down. He jerks away—I use the opportunity to get into my truck and drive away.

Tears blur my vision and by the time I get inside the Humans' home I'm sobbing. I sprint past both Stilinski men and into my room. I feel like the teenager that cried every time he called for a year.

The Sheriff follows me in, sitting beside me and rubbing my back comfortingly.

"Hale again?" He mutters quietly.

"Yeah." I sniffle.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Not physically. We got in an argument and said some pretty nasty things to eachother."

"Just don't let him change you again. You looked like hell when he left. I mean, your parents were terrified that you were going to kill yourself. They asked to put you on suicide watch. I just don't want to see that happen to you again." He smiles sadly at me and I sit up to hug him.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer!

The next four days, I barricade myself into my bedroom with junk food at my new apartment. The school lets me off the hook to take care of my 'busted rib.'

I jump when I hear a crashing sound, turning around in the shower. I can't see into my bedroom. My claws emerge and I draw a towel tightly around myself before I enter the room. A hand shoots out, grabs me by the fabric of the towel on my chest and pulls me against a firm body.

Derek.

"Let go of me," I throw his wrist off of me, holding the towel closer. He backs me up, again, until my spine connects with the door and there isn't an inch of my front that isn't touching him. I can feel the heat from his body through the towel.

"You're naked." He growls lowly. My entire body ignites. I'm on fire.

"That's typically the way people shower," I breathe. His fingers move along my collarbone, down until he reaches the top of my towel and drags his fingertips across. It gives me goosebumps.

"I came to tell you that I think I know who the Alpha is and you said you'd help me. Still going to keep good on your word?" His fingers move back to the other side and my heart pounds against my chest. I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Yes, I'll help you kill the Alpha. But the second it's over, so are we." I mutter, my lips brushing against his. Derek gasps as I press myself more firmly against him before I duck under his arm and grab my clothes before retreating to the bathroom.

I pull on my slashed bodycon dress and put very little makeup on. Derek's seated on my bed, looking bored when I walk slowly toward him. His green-blue eyes lock on me and darken to almost black. It sends a tremor of fear through me.

His hands take my wrists and tugs me to stand with his knees at either side of my thighs. With a groan, he pulls me to the bed and hovers over me.

"The Alpha," I remind him. He ignores me, peppering every inch of my neck and the holes in my shoulders with feather-light kisses.

"I'm sorry about Friday," he whispers, "It was out of line." I bite clear through my lip to keep from making noise.

"This is bad of us. We can't..." He cuts me off with a violent kiss.

"Makaylah, are you sure you want me to stop?" He teases.

"Actually, yes." I push Derek back and untangle myself from him, adjusting my dress, "You started it that time. Now who's the tease?"

"Still you. First with that towel, and now with this thing you call a dress." He bumps his nose against mine, hands gliding along the jersey fabric of my dress and onto my hips. His chest presses into my back, his chin on my shoulder as he steps up behind me.

I lean into him—a doll. All his.

"The Alpha can wait." He growls lowly, fingers creeping downward to the hem of my dress.

"Do you ever think of anything besides sex when you're around me?" I attempt to pry his fingers away as I say it. He doesn't budge, as expected.

"Does anyone of my gender under the age of thirty look at you and not think about sex?" He replies, burying his face in my neck—nipping and sucking at my skin.

"Gay men," I say, eyes pinched shut, my hand fisted at my side. He laughs, purposefully leaving a mark.

"You still have that insanely attractive sense of humor." Derek nips my jaw affectionately. I turn on my heels, grasp the front of his shirt and pull his body flat against mine.

"Come on, Superstar. We have an Alpha to kill." I jerk out of his hold on me, swaying my hips as I make my way to my window. I slide out easily and land on my feet with Derek close behind.

"Superstar?" He quirks an eyebrow at me, "I haven't heard that since I was fourteen."

"I know. Thought you needed an ego boost." I tease. He rolls his eyes at me. I climb into the passenger seat of his Camaro, my legs crossed. My dress rides up, the leather sticking to my skin. I shift in discomfort.

Derek's eyes are locked on every movement of my short dress. He sets his warm hand on my knee as he pulls away from the curb. I bite into my bottom lip harshly, drawing blood, as his thumb circles the bone.

"Derek, stop it." I manage to say. The corner of his mouth upturns in the slightest and he pulls his hand back slowly. I lick the wound I gave myself on my bottom lip, finding it almost fully healed. If I were human, I'd need stitches.

My thoughts drift to Laura, to the last time we spoke. It was at Baby Boy's grave. When I was in college, I came up on his birthday–December 31–for about an hour and drove back to campus. Four years ago, I was sitting by the headstone with a teddybear my sister sent, when Laura approached.

_"Hey, MK." She called. I flinched at the nickname, but glanced up._

_"Laura? Oh my God!" I flung myself into her arms, hugging her fiercely, "What are you doing here?"_

_"I came for my Nephew's birthday. He'd be 5 today, right?" She crossed the lawn with me until we reached the grave. She sat beside me after setting down a stuffed gray wolf with a dark black Triskele sewn onto its side._

_"You know, I always pictured him looking like Derek. Black Hair, blue eyes." I say, resting my head on her shoulder._

_"What were you thinking about naming him?"_

_"I don't know. Jared and Ashton were my two favorites."_

_"I like Jared." She said after a moment, "Derek would like it."_

_"If it was going to be a girl, I was gonna name her Cora." I whispered, "Cora was the best kid in the world to babysit."_

_She sniffled, quietly. _

"Is everything alright?" Derek asks.

"Why?"

"You're focusing really hard on something. You always frown like that when you're mind's somewhere else. Where did you go?"

"I was thinking about Baby Boy. He'd be nine on December 31. That was his due date." I whisper.

"I'm sorry, Makaylah." He responds.

"Stop apologizing. Derek, it's Kate's fault he's dead. Can we please—please not talk about it for a while?"

"Yeah."

We pull up to the Vet shortly after that. I ignore the way Derek acts toward the Vet; the violent, malicious way.

Until Scott McCall bursts in the door.

"What are you doing?" He screams at Derek.

"If he's unconscious—he can't heal!" Derek snarls.

"Makaylah...What are you doing with Derek? How do you know him?" The student asks.

"We're...He's..." I freeze. What am I doing with Derek, besides hunting the Alpha?

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"You're a freaking werewolf! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yes, Scott, it's my protocol when I meet someone to tell them I'm a werewolf." I say sarcastically. Derek goes to bring down his hand on the Vet, and Scott grasps his wrist—fully shifted.

"Hit him again, and you'll see me get angry." He growls at Derek.

"Let. Go. Of. Him." I say through gritted teeth as I grab Scott by the front of his shirt and shove him into the wall. He growls in my face and I roar. We struggle. He's a strong little prick.

I pull my arm back and allow it to snap forward and meet his nose. He knees me in the stomach. It ends when Scott's palm slams against my chest and I slide across the cement floor; my head meeting the smooth brick wall. I let out a pained whimper and Derek crouches down beside me.

"Son of a bitch, that hurt." I growl. Scott tends to Doctor Deaton's wounds while Derek's fingers rest on the back of my neck as he helps me sit up. The room spins at an extremely fast pace and I pinch my eyes shut.

"Do you think it's healing?" He whispers.

"How about I tell you when the room stops spinning?" My voice is ornery.

Derek leans in and presses his lips against my forehead, lingering. My pulse jumps erratically.

"You don't need to protect me." Derek murmurs almost inaudibly.

"Yes I do." I open my eyes.

"Why?"

"Pack mates." I slur out my words, pulling the necklace out of my dress. His fingers close around it and his eyes soften for the first time since I saw him again.

"You still have this."

"Of course." I think of the night I got it—three weeks before we slept together; the same night I found out about Kate.

(Flashhback)

_"Ok, you can't not do something for your birthday," Laura said as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. I grinned over at her as we walked down the hall._

_"I just.. I'm only turning fourteen—it's not a big deal."_

_"Only fourteen? Your parents are going to let you date; finally! It's a huge deal!"_

_"No, it isn't. The only guy I want to date has a girlfriend." I sent her a pointed look._

_"That reminds me, we haven't met her yet. He won't tell us anything about her. Just that he thinks he's falling in love with her, and she's older than me. That freaks me out! He's my baby brother." Laura said while we walked into the locker room. I didn't say anything, just stripped down for lacrosse._

_"Yes!" I heard one of the other girls squeal._

_A thin, blonde girl called Anna rounded the corner. Anna hated me because she had a crush on Derek and I refused to tell her anything about him because she got around a lot._

_"Anna, what's going on?" Laura asked._

_"Coach is sick, so we're practicing with the boys." The human smirked._

_"Well, Birthday Girl, looks like Coach left you a present." The Hale girl hip-checked me. I smiled weakly._

_"Oh, come on, Kaylah. You know half the guys on that team drool all over you. Especially Camden Lahey."_

_"Again, Laura: I don't want any of those guys. You know that." I slammed my locker shut. We fell into step as we made our way toward the field._

_"Whoever the bitch is, I hate her." I said._

_"Who are we talking about?" Derek spoke from behind me._

_"Why don't you tell me, Derek?" I jogged away, at the front of warm-ups. Hearing that he thought he loved her put me in a pissy mood. I stopped after the last of 6 laps, stretching my legs as I drank water like a dying man._

_"What was that about, back there?" He asked, sitting to stretch his arms out._

_"Just in a bad mood," I shrugged, brushing him off._

_"You can't be pissy on your birthday, MK."_

_"I can be whatever the hell I want to—because its my birthday." I replied snidely._

_Later that night, my parents insisted that the Hales come to dinner for my birthday. I didn't refuse. Talia and Jason were their best friends._

_My mother and Myra insisted I wear a 'nice outfit'. They put me in a black cami, longsleeve purple cropped cardigan with tight jeans. I put my hair up in a ponytail, much to their protests._

_The six Hales trudged in as I was chasing the twins around the living room, trying to get Aiden to give Ethan back his favorite toy._

_"Aiden, get back here!" I screamed._

_"Derek!" Both of the 6-year-olds shouted in unison as they ran toward the door, the toy forgotten. He scooped Aiden up and threw him onto his shoulder while Ethan attached himself to Derek's leg._

_"Boys," I set my hands on my hips, "What did mommy say about doing this to Derek?"_

_"She said not to," Ethan pouted, letting go of the boy's leg, picking up his toy and sitting on the couch._

_"Aiden Alexander Duchannes." I growled._

_"I has to get down," he pouted as Derek set him smoothly on his feet._

_"Happy Birthday, Pretty Girl." Talia smiled warmly at me, pecking me on the forehead as she passed me. Jason did the same._

_"Kay-wah!" Cora sprinted past her older brother to hug me. I crouched down, scooped her up, and set her on my hip._

_"Happy Birfday." She kissed me on the cheek. I laughed, setting her down. The auburn haired little one immediately tackled Aiden and starting wrestling—the same way I wrestled with Derek when we were their age._

_"Happy Birthday, Makaylah." He said. My stomach rolled when I looked at him fully. Derek was forced to dress up for this circus act too—longsleeve navy shirt, jeans, and dress shoes. He stepped forward and wrapped both arms around my shoulders. I wrapped mine around his abdomen, breathing in his cologne mixed with something sharp like peppermint._

_"Thank you," I murmured into his shirt. My heart raced when his lips pressed against the crown of my head._

_Laura smirked, playfully punching my shoulder. We both entered the kitchen to help my father bring in the plates._

_"Derek, you look very nice." I heard my mother say as he hugged her as well._

_"Thank You, Mrs. Duchannes. I have plans later tonight." I growled at his reply. The others had already taken in the other dishes._

_"I told you to call me Maria, silly boy and a date?"_

_"Yeah," I shattered the plate in half with my hands. The glass cut my palms open, as well as slashed my jeans and calf._

_"Shit!" I bellowed, running to the sink. A muscular chest pressed into my back as pale fingers dug out the glass before my skin healed over it._

_"I'm fine, Derek." I snapped. He spun me to face him, setting me on the counter._

_"Why're you treating me like this?"_

_"You seriously need to sort out your priorities. We've been best friends for thirteen long-ass years and your mystery girlfriend sees you more than I do. I mean, coming over for my birthday and then leaving for some date? Do you know how that makes me feel? Like a burden. So if you'd rather be with her than at your best friend's birthday party, then go. Just get out." I pointed toward the front door, "You can't play with me anymore. It's not fair-" he cut me off by setting both hands on my cheeks and pressing his lips against mine as he stepped between my knees._

_I was too stunned to kiss back. His mouth moved against mine for a moment before I shot my hand out to push him away. _

_His eyes widened and I set my fingers on my tingling bottom lip. I wanted to kiss him—but if I started, I wouldn't stop._

_"Oh, God. I'm sorry." He replied quietly._

_"Don't apologize. I've wanted you to kiss me for a while now." I said just as quietly. I was still seated on the counter, with him standing less than a foot away. He moved closer to grasp my hips and set me back on the floor. My body brushed the length of his on the way down. He took a dish towel and wiped the blood off of my hands before taking the plates in himself._

_Shaking off the sinking fear in my stomach, I sat next to him at the table and ate in silence until my mother ushered us into the living room for presents._

_"Derek has to leave in fifteen minutes, so could you please open his first?" Talia asked politely._

_"I have to go to the bathroom," I squeaked and sprinted down the hall and locked the door behind me. I sighed, pulling my phone out and texting my human best friend; Molly._

_**Derek just kissed me...**_

_It took her five seconds to reply._

_**R U SERIOUS? HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY TO YOU.**_

_**But he's leaving my birthday 'party' to go on a DATE!**_

_**Oh hell no. We need to find out who the tramp is.**_

_**Pick me up in 20?**_

_**See U at the corner.**_

_**You make me sound like a prostitute.**_

_**Only for Derek. ;P**_

_**He wouldn't have to pay for it. ;P**_

_**Ooh! ;P I think I'm a bad influence on you. Me & The Girls will be there soon. ;)**_

_I come out of the bathroom, pretending to feel sick._

_"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Talia's brown eyes narrowed at me._

_"Tummy hurts." I pouted with a frown before I plopped down on the love seat next to my best friend._

_"Sweetie, why don't you open Derek's present and then go to bed?" She smiled warmly at me. It was just what I wanted. I ripped through the packaging and opened the box. I gasped and pulled out the Triskele necklace by the chain._

_"Oh My God. It's beautiful." I murmured._

_"Come here," He motioned for me to turn so he could put it on me. I willingly did, breath hitching as his fingers skimmed my skin, sliding down my shoulders after its clasped._

_"I have to go. Thank you so much for dinner." He leaned in and kissed the top of my head again before he left._

_I practically flew to my room and out the window, sprint across the lawn, and around to Molly's Trans Am._

_We followed Derek's Toyota Highlander to a restaurant and snuck inside, just in the doorway, He walked toward a table and when I saw who it was, my jaw dropped. He leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth._

_"Oh My God." I said, loud enough for him to turn around. I shook my head, turned on my heels and ran. No, no, no. Not her. Please not her._

_"Makaylah!" He shouted from behind me. I sped up until I reached the woods, and he caught up to me. Derek pinned me to a tree by my wrists._

_"You're an idiot! Kate Argent?! She's using you!"_

_"She's not like them, OK? Kate loves me."_

_"Sure she does. Did she say that in bed?" I ripped one hand free to slap him harshly across the face, "I will never kiss you now. You've kissed her mouth and God knows where she's put that. Didn't your mother teach you not to touch things when you don't know where they've been?"_

_"Don't talk about her like that! You don't even know her!"_

_"You shouldn't either! She's going to kill you and everyone around you."_

_"You're a child. You can't understand the relationship I have with her." Tear blurred my vision with the sting of his words._

_"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can be friends anymore." I sobbed._

_"What? MK-"_

_"I have to protect my family. I'll keep your secret, but please stay away from me. Don't call me, don't text me, don't talk to me at school, and stay away from my house. No contact whatsoever. Goodbye, Derek." I cried as I sprinted home and slipped into bed. The necklace was all I had to hold on to._

(End)

His fingers slide into my hair as he smiles a genuine smile at me, helping me to my feet. Derek allows his face to fall back into a hard expression as he turns to Scott.

"You could've killed her by doing that."

"I'm sorry, but he isn't the Alpha and I can prove it to you." He says. The McCall boy heads off on his bike after telling us to meet him at the school. We tie up the Vet and set him in the backseat as we climb into the front.

"Why would you keep the necklace? That night was awful."

"It helped me feel close to you," I close my eyes, "I missed you so much—I couldn't stand not having some kind of connection to you." He starts the car.

I lean my aching head against the cool glass in silence.

"You love me." He finally says just as we pull up, "Or else you wouldn't keep this." Derek lifts the necklace as he speaks. Our foreheads press together.

"Derek, I–" Stiles' jeep pulls up and I rip the door open.

"No way in hell. Stiles, go home. I don't want you involved in this." I crossed my arms.

"What happened to 'stay away from Derek'? You're, like, his partner in crime!"

"Stiles." I growl, "That is none of your business. Your dad would kill me if he knew that I let you stay and help face off with an Alpha Werewolf!"

He ignores me. The little prick takes off with Scott to call the Alpha to the school.

"I need to tell you something." He says, leaning against the trunk of the Jeep. I step forward and he pulls me to stand between his knees again. His fingers stay firmly wrapped around my wrists.

That's when the sound of a cat being ran over mixed with nails on a chalkboard echoes around us.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Derek shakes his head, and I burst into a laughing fit.

"It's good to hear you laugh." He says. I wrap my arms loosely around his neck, every inch of me a live wire. I want to open my mouth and say the words that taste bitter, the same words that killed Camden; I love you, Derek.

No matter how much it kills me, it's true. I've loved him for 12 years, and I don't think I'm capable of falling in love with anyone else. Scott howls; good this time. But too loud. I bet humans in China can hear it. Derek stands up and stares at the pair.

"I'm going to kill both of you! What the hell was that? Are you trying to attract the entire state to the school?!"

"Sorry. I didn't know it would be that loud." Scott shrugs.

"Yeah, it was loud. And it was awesome." Stiles sing-songs.

"Shut up," Derek replies sourly.

"Don't be such a sour wolf!" I snort before laughing at the response from Stiles.

"Where's my boss?!" Scott asks.

"He was..." I pause. He's gone. The Alpha's claws sink through Derek and he drops lifelessly to the ground. I scream.

"Derek!"

Scott throws me, caveman-style over his shoulder. The pair lock the door as we enter the hallway. The ache that settled in my chest when Baby Boy died deepens with grief at the thought of losing Derek. My Derek. I can't and won't lose him. If he's dead, I wanna die too.

"I have to help Derek. Let me out!" I fight Scott, clawing his back roughly.

"Shit, that hurts." He literally hands me off to Stiles as he slips outside to grab something. I howl and kick Stiles between the legs.

He drops like a sack of potatoes and I push past Scott and face off with the Alpha. I snarl, lunge forward and fling myself onto him—stabbing my claws into every surface available. It ends quickly when it throws me against the side of the school. My head cracks as it meets the brick and I fade into black.

* * *

"Wake up. Come on, Kaylah." Hands pump my chest as a familiar mouth tries to push air into my lungs.

"I'm...Awake...Derek...Derek?!" I open my eyes and throw myself into his lap with my arms around him, kissing every inch of his face.

His hands rest at my hips.

"I honestly thought he killed you." I breathe between kisses.

"Me? I thought you were dead when I woke up." He turns his head to kiss my neck with affectionate little pecks.

"I love you." I whisper, "I can't stand being away from you anymore."

He opens and closes his mouth as the police sirens sound "We need to get out of here." He decides on, "They blamed me for what happened in the school."

"My apartment." I say, heart pounding. He nods, taking my hand and leading me to the car.

* * *

My back slams against the door, my wrists pinned above my head as he kisses me fiercely. I drop my keys onto a hook after locking the door, and we stumble almost drunkenly into my living room.

"I love you too," he pulls back long enough to breathe. My heart swells, warmth spreading through my limbs. I slide his jacket off his shoulders when our lips crash together. We abandoned the Camaro outside the charred Hale house and I snuck him into the apartment.

His hands glide across the curves in my body, tongue battling mine for dominance. He wins, re-exploring the cavity. I slide my tongue across his, groaning in unison with him.

His hand slides up the back of my shirt, and I pull his over his head and greedily kiss and suck the skin of his chest. I can almost taste his heartbeat.

"You're mine," I growl, meeting teal eyes.

"Then show me," he replies, a low growl. I smirk, reaching down and tugging my dress over my head.

"You know where my bedroom is," I smirk, taking off my shoes, and swaying my hips as I walk into said bedroom. I close the door silently and wait on my California King bed. Just as expected, he freezes for about three seconds before following me.

Derek's eyes darken as he closes the door, crosses the room and hooks my legs around his waist as he pushes me to the mattress.

His arms restrain his full weight, but I can still feel his hard body pressing into mine. His mouth slants on mine as one hand moves onto my chest, squeezing.

"Derek," I moan, my hips meeting his.

"What?"

"No playing. It's been 9 years. I need you," I slide my hand down just below his belt for emphasis. He groans loudly. I unbutton his jeans and he moves away long enough to throw them to the floor with his boxers. I strip my panties, scooting up the bed as he kisses me again.

"Birth control?" He says.

"I don't care right now." I reply, whimpering when he pushes his hips forward. Our bodies move together, connected. It doesn't feel close enough—I want to crawl into his skin and be part of him. I feel my claws extend and I sink them into the flesh of his shoulders, scratching him.

I kiss his shoulders and neck, tasting his sweaty skin.

"I love you, Derek." I moan, reaching my edge.

"Say it again." He leans in to leave bites all over my throat.

"I...I love you." I whisper. He falls over the edge, calling out my name. and takes me with him as I scream his. I don't stop. I roll us over, my hands on his chest, kissing him with all the passion inside of me, figuratively, and roll my hips until we both fall over that edge again.

"Damn." Derek breathes. We lay side by side, still entangled but not connected. His long fingers trace the curve of my body, stroking my skin.

"Better than the first time," I lean in and leave a long, lingering kiss on his soft mouth.

"I love you, Makaylah Duchannes."

"I love you too."

There's knocking at my front door and I throw all of our clothes to him and push him into my closet, putting on my boyshorts and a tanktop before answering.

"Sheriff Stilinski."

"Hi, Kaylah. I was wondering if you've seen Derek Hale tonight." He asks.

"No. I was at my sister's house until about..." I look at the clock to find that Derek and I's lovemaking took three hours. It's now four AM, "12:00. I got home at 12:45. You can call Myra; here's her phone number."

He believes me; I have never ever made him think I'm lying.

Derek's getting redressed when I come in.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask, moving to straddle his hips.

"I thought you'd want me to go home."

"No. You're staying in my bed until I tell you otherwise. You have 9 years of sleeping in bed with me to make up for, Mister." I snatch his navy shirt, take off mine, and put his on my body. He slips his jeans back onto the floor and slips under the blankets with me.

I fall asleep with his arm around my waist, my back to his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

**This right here is my disclaimer!**

* * *

I moan, loudly, as Derek's mouth finds my neck. We've spent an hour rolling around my bed, fully clothed.

"Derek, I have to go to work." I whimper when his fingers dive under the hem of my tank top.

"Call in sick," he growls, moving his fingers up my stomach until they reach the bottom of my bra.

"Can't," I flip him back onto his back and peck him on the lips, once before climbing off the bed.

"Stay off the radar today, okay? I love you." At my words, Derek stands up and kisses me lightly.

"Yes, I'll stay out of sight. I love you too." When I look in the mirror, I curse.

"Look at this! I can't cover all these up!" Several purple hickeys with teethmarks inside of them cover my neck and disappear into my shirt. I can see some of them on my shoulder blades as well.

"I will never hear the end of this," I groan. He sets his hands on my sides and butterfly kisses my jawline.

"Just making sure everyone knows you're taken,"

"And if the sheriff sees this, he's going to know I've been sleeping with you!" I say with a growl. He moans and I stiffen.

"If you keep growling like that, MK, I don't think I can stop myself from throwing you back in your bed and making those marks look like baby steps." My heart hammers in my chest, stomach swooping.

I pull out of his grasp, kiss him on the cheek and walk out of my apartment. My car runs effortlessly now that it's been fixed, and I pull into the parking lot later than usual. As I'm crossing the parking lot, my mind drifts to the last two days; spent in bed with clothes on and off.

I stiffen at a familiar scent from a red Tahoe. I meet Kate's eyes, and pull my hair up so the bitch can see Derek's marks on me. Her eyes widen and her palm subconsciously touches her neck—remembering.

That's when I decide to keep walking; straight into the locker room. It's my free period. There's a banging sound and one of the showers turns on. Claws out, I follow the sound.

"Scott?" Stiles rounds the corner, and I motion him behind me when we find Scott.

"Stiles...I can't...I can't."

"Are you turning?" Stiles asks.

"No...I can't breathe," Scott gasps out. I push him to sit and crouch down beside him.

"Here," The human hands me his inhaler. It calms the other beta easily. I ruffle his hair as confusion rolls off of him in waves.

"I was having an asthma attack?"

"Panic attack," Stiles and I say in unison.

"How do you know that?" He asks Stiles. I stand up and wrap an arm loosely around his shoulders, kissing him on the temple.

"I got them really badly after my mom died."

* * *

I don't want to stay at school any longer by the end of the day. But, I don't go home, either. I go to the Argent's house, my ear pressed against the smooth glass.

"It's just the whole thing with Derek Hale the other night and Scott saying he didn't know him but I saw them together." Allison says. Shit. Now Scott's being roped in to this.

"Whoa, hold on. Wait. Back up. Scott knows Derek? Alleged killer, Derek? They're friends?"

"No. Not really. Or at least that's what he said."

"How about you tell me everything Scott said about Derek."

"What do you mean by 'everything'?"

"I mean everything."

By the time I reach the school to get my car keys, my office has been locked by Finstock.

"Shit." I grumble, jogging out to the lacrosse field in time to see Scott's elbow collide with Danny's helmet. I beat his teammates to him, seeing the blood on him. I have to curl my fingers into the dirt to keep from shifting at the coppery scent.

"McCall," I say, gritted teeth. He growls under his breath and I grab him by the upper arm to drag him out of view of the others. The teenager isn't afraid to shift around me. In fact, I have to pin both his wrists to his chest and knee him between the legs to calm him down.

"The hell is wrong with you?" I say sourly.

"Nothing."

"Liar. This isn't normal for you. I was here last full moon. You had control then, what's different now?"

"Allison broke up with me."

"Chill," I growl, "A break up is nothing compared to my adolescent life. If you keep losing it like this—you'll end up worse than I did."

"What could've been so bad for you?"

"I lost my best friend at fourteen, A miscarriage at fifteen, and at eighteen my husband killed himself because I wanted a divorce. Don't tell me about hard your life is."

"I don't care what you went through. This is my life. I deal with it." He snarls before walking away. Stupid kid. He's gonna get himself killed.

I unlock the door long enough to slip inside and re-lock it as I walk toward my office. Hands slide onto my hips as a familiar mouth meets mine. I groan, curling my fingers into the front of his shirt and kissing back fiercely.

"Derek, what are you **_doing_** here? I told you to stay inside." I breathe once we break apart.

"Maybe I missed you," he knocks my legs out from under me and pulls them around his waist. One of my wrists rests on top of the other as I loop my arms around his neck. My back presses into cold tile; the shower.

"I've been thinking about you all day," he growls, tongue plundering my mouth as his hands slide up the sides of my shirt. I moan, lacing my fingers into his dark hair.

A gasp flies from my lips as he reaches between us to pull the leggings down my legs.

"We can't do this at school!" My head tilts back as his mouth moves along my jaw.

"You locked the door, right? With Finstock's only key?"

"Yes,"

"Then no-one is going to walk in on us, MK." He growls. I give in. I reach down between us and unbuttoning his jeans. Derek's hips roll forward and I groan.

I sink my teeth into the junction between his neck and shoulder.

* * *

"We seriously have to learn some self-control." I pant as I pull the leggings back up.

"We do have self-control." He says, "The full moon isn't having as big an effect on me as it normally does."

"We do not have control. Derek, we just had sex in the locker-room showers. That isn't control in any sense of the word."

Watching Derek fight is unlike anything else in the world. He lunges for Scott once he leaps on top of the car. My boyfriend tosses Scott down a hill leading to the woods. They roll and I follow, sprinting. My heart races.

Scott tries to fight back, punching. Derek is fully shifted when he turns the teen around, pinning his arm against his back.

"Scott, stop! Scott!" He growls. Scott looks up at me, and breaks free—coming after me. My Derek's eyes meet mine and he calms himself.

I growl, ready to fight. Derek steps in front of me and kicks the other beta into a tree.

"What's happening to me?" He asks, eyes wide. Derek's arm wraps low around my waist, keeping me tucked in his side.

"Exactly what he wants to happen," Derek replies smoothly. I shiver as he turns his head to brush his lips across mine.


	8. Chapter 8

(Makaylah POV)

Derek groans and presses harder on the gas as I let my hand move up and down his thigh, leaving a hickey on his neck that will take days to heal. He growls, fed up, and hauls me over the console and into his lap, perfectly capable of seeing the road over my shoulder as I dip my head down and kiss the other side. I rock my hips, keeping my mouth on his skin.

"God, Kaylah." He bites out, knuckles white on the wheel. My phone vibrates where my thigh presses into his and he groans, in frustration this time.

I look at my text, making sure he can see still.

**From: Stiles Stilinski, 2:42 AM.**

**Where the hell are you?**

Frowning, I respond and wait for another message. He calls this time and I crawl back into my seat.

"Stiles, you are such a cockblocker!" I growl into the phone, "I was kind of busy."

"Ok, Ew. I didn't need to hear the details of your apparently active sex life. You're like my big sister."

"Just tell me why you're calling me so late."

"My dad just got a call about Derek's car entering Beacon Hills. Why aren't you staying in the apartment?"

"Well, fuck." I run my hand through my hair, "Meet us in the woods just off of Oak street in three minutes. You and Scott take the car and we'll run. I need to...check on something...at school. Bye." I slam the phone shut, all the heat from going at it while he was driving has dissipated.

"Go into the trees." I grumble. He does, turning into a small area of the woods none of the cops know of. The boys take seconds to walk up to the Camaro, and Derek swings my door open for me, arm around my waist. My heart still pounds every time he touches me the way it did when we were in high school.

"I'm unhappy with you." I narrow my eyes at Stiles as Derek tosses the keys to the other beta.

"Calm down," Derek kisses the top of my head, keeping his hand on my hip.

"The Argents will follow the car. The police will go after us much sooner." I remind the boys.

"No. I want you to stay with them. You'll get in a hell of a lot less trouble if you're got joyriding in a police confiscated car than if you get caught running around with me."

"But, Derek!"

"MK, go. OK?" He set his hands on either side of my face, pulling me in and pressing his lips against mine. I lock my fingers around his wrist, move my lips with his for a moment before releasing him.

"I love you," I whisper, low enough that the teenagers can't hear me. It could very well be the last time I see Derek outside of prison.

"I love you too." He nods, and turns to Scott.

"You put her in any danger and I'll really come after you this time. No Alpha, no Janitor, just you. Got it?" I smirk as the teen nods. Derek takes off in the direction of the school and I climb into the backseat. We speed along a back road until a green Kia soul is on our asses. It's Kate.

"Scott, I need Vin Diesel driving, not my Grandpa's driving! Put your foot on the gas." I say, leaning over the console.

"If I go faster, I'll kill us." Scott grumbles.

"If you don't go faster, they're going to kill us!" Stiles argues. I reach over the seat and ruffle his hair.

The sports car growls as it speeds up. I isolate the sound of Kate's voice and her brother's on the phone.

"He's on foot. He just headed into the iron works." Chris says.

"Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say on foot?" The Argent woman replies.

"Yeah, into the iron works."

"Running?"

"Yes, running." And her brother hangs up.

"Well, if he's on foot...then who the hell's driving his car?" I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh at the confused tone her voice takes. I curse under my breath as she disappears.

"Scott, go into the iron works. But, make it the back way. We don't want any cops seeing us." I say, unbuckling myself and tossing my hair up into a ponytail before taking a bobby pin out of my pocket, holding it between my teeth.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott asks, over his shoulder.

"In case I have to fight. You may not understand how girls work when they're fighting, but I'm not going to give anyone an opportunity to grab my hair." I roll my eyes after speaking, pinning my hair into a bun at the base of my head.

"Nice hickey, Makaylah."

"Stiles, don't start. You interrupted me repaying the favor with your damn text." I growl, pulling my leather combat boots out from under the passenger seat and kicking my high heels off. The lacing is easy, I pull so tightly that the top of my feet ache.

Once we reach Derek, he's cowering at the side of a construction vehicle, eyes covered as he rounds the corner facing us. I leap over Stiles, out the passenger door, and roll once I hit the ground. It takes one more step to grasp my boyfriend's fingers in mine and pull us to the Camaro. Bullets ricochet behind us just before the door closes once again. The dark haired man sets me in his lap facing sideways with both his arms wrapped around me.

"Damn it! I had him!"

"Who, the Alpha?"

"Yes! He was right in front of me and the friggin police showed up." I turn my head to nip his jaw affectionately. Derek relaxes slightly at the motion.

"Okay. They're just doing their jobs..." Derek shoots Stiles a look that even makes me want to submit like a puppy, "Uh, yeah, I'll just...I'll just be back here."

"Yeah. Thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state." I glare over at Scott, my arms wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders.

"Yes, but you're my fugitive," I whisper lowly in his ear, my palm sliding down to rest on his abdomen. His forehead rests against my temple.

"Can we get past that? I made a dumbass mistake, I get it."

"Alright," Stiles pipes up, "How did you find him?"

Derek doesn't reply, just reaches up and pulls the small metal pin out of my hair, brushing it over my shoulder and nudging my jaw with his nose. My eyelids shut and a smile stretches across my face.

"Can't you try and trust us for at least half a second?" Scott bursts my bubble like a pin.

"Why would he trust you? He keeps saving your ass and all you do in return is get him into unnecessary trouble that he can't get himself out of!" I shout.

"Look, the last time I talked to my sister she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris."

"Our chemistry teacher?!"

"Why him?" Scott asks, glancing at us briefly before turning back to the road.

"I don't know yet."

"What's the second?" The teen asks from the driver's seat.

"Some kind of symbol." Derek moves one hand off of my waist to reach into his pocket and pull out a square of paper. His chin rests on my collarbone.

Scott and I both share the same stunned, gaze.

"What? You know what this is?" Derek crinkles his eyebrows as he looks between us.

"I've seen it on a necklace." Scott grits his teeth.

"Allison's necklace." I murmur.

* * *

Once we've returned the Camaro to its place and disturbed Scott's fingerprints, we walk along the back road toward my apartment. Derek drapes his leather jacket over my shoulders. My fingers interlace through his and I rest my head on his shoulder. If you didn't know us, you'd think we were a human couple. A small cafe that Cam took me to all the time Senior Year is right along the dirt road.

"I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate. Come on. I have an in with the owner; she won't turn you in." I grin up at him.

"I haven't had hot chocolate since I was sixteen." He laughs, once. I take both his hands and lead him toward Ruth's, giggling every time I stumble.

"Oh My God! Makaylah Duchannes? Come over here and give me a hug!" Ruth Brewer is a small, portly woman with graying hair, who flings her arms around me, "Look at you. So pretty. I haven't seen you since Camden's funeral. It's about time you came home."

"Yeah. It's good to see you too, Ruth." I step back and Derek pulls me protectively into his side.

"This strapping young man must be the infamous Derek you talked so much about." I feel my face heat up and I glance at the ground; a sudden interest in my shoes.

"Yes, ma'am." Derek flashes her a genuine smile, shaking her hand politely.

"So, how far along are you?" She asks me with hazel eyes.

"Wha-What are you talking about?"

"I've been alive for too many years. I know what a pregnant woman looks like."

I fall into stunned silence, calculating in my head. My period should've been...the end of the week we first slept together. I missed my period by three weeks and five days. Oh. My. God. There's a ninety percent chance that I'm pregnant. The room starts to spin and my heart pounds against my chest. My knees buckle causing Derek to wrap both arms around my abdomen and haul me against his chest.

"MK? What's going on?" He whispers as he forces me to sit in a booth and crouches down in front of me. His palms rest on my cheeks, thumbs stroking the bones.

"I-I think I'm pregnant." I stutter out. His teal gray eyes widen, leaning in and kissing my forehead.

"Are-Are you sure?"

"No...I need to take a test." My stomach rolls with nausea.

"I'm going to take you home."

"No. The cops are probably already there. God, I don't even know what I'm going to say for an alibi."

"Tell Sheriff Stilinski you were here all night. My staff will vouch for you." Ruth smiles, grinning at me. I stand up and hug her tightly.

"Thank you so much!"

We walk in silence until we reach the Hale house, making sure no cops are around. I've parked my car there as a throw off to the cops. If I tell the sheriff that I was out looking for Derek, to see if he'd talk to me, he'll understand.

"Take the test; I'll come by when it's safe for me to be there. Why don't you call in sick for tomorrow?" He steps forward and presses his lips against my forehead, moving down my face until he reaches my mouth. Derek's mouth crashes onto mine as he pulls me impossibly close. I wrap both arms around his broad shoulders, my eyes shut as I kiss him back. This isn't rough and fiery, like our others. Derek's being gentle with me, moving his lips without darting his tongue forward. Showing me how much he loves me, that our relationship isn't centered around sex. I play with the hair at the back of his neck.

"I love you so much," I tell him as we break apart, "Why the hell did Scott have to screw this up? If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have to sneak around."

His mouth moves up my jaw, his arms caging me in and nipping the skin.

"Do you know why I fell in love with you?"

"No." I breathe.

"Because you're the strongest girl I've ever seen in my life; when you fight, when you're so focused that your eyebrows contract, the way you roll back your shoulders and sit straight up when you're stressed out. I fell in love with you because you aren't afraid to tell me when I'm being an ass. Because you're always so passionate about everything. Every emotion. And because even after all the hell I put you through, you never gave up on me. The fact that you're so beautiful it makes my chest hurt is just a perk." He tells me.

"Derek." Is all I can manage, brushing my lips against his. I don't have to say anything else to convey what I'm feeling or thinking. It's the first time that I've said his name simply to say it; different from when we're in bed or when it used to taste sour. Just his name, with every fiber of emotion that's been building up for him my entire life. Derek's hands move to rest on my stomach; to the area I'm sure a baby bump has formed.

"If we're having a baby, you know I'm never going to let you out of my sight now," He breathes, turning his head to brush a kiss across the hollow of my jaw. A singular shiver runs up my spine and I lean into his touch.

"I know. Do you...want this baby? We've only been together for a month, Derek."

"If I weren't a complete asshole, we would've been together for nine years now. If you want this baby, so do I." His calloused palm rests on my cheek as he speaks, "Makaylah, go home and get some sleep. You can get the test tomorrow and I'll come around when I can."

* * *

I pace around just outside my bathroom door, my stomach rolling with nausea. Has it been a minute yet? Two lines mean positive, one means negative. Once I hear it beep, I lunge forward into the room and lift the first pregnancy test off the counter. The first time you take a test is the worst, especially when you're fourteen. Being older is slightly easier. There's still a fear that sets into your stomach and gnaws at your insides.

I lift it up, and read the results. My heart skips a beat and I wait for the other two. Both read the exact same as the first.

_I'm pregnant._

A smile stretches across my face and I lift my shirt as I turn in the mirror. Sure enough, a small bump has settled just below my stomach. I find myself squealing once, and throwing on a tee shirt and yoga pants. I always work out in these.

I grab the keys to my car and driving until I reach a familiar drive.

My childhood house. Dad's still here. An Alpha, right to the end. He's given up rights to a pack by now, considering he's in his late fifties. I knock on the door, my knuckles brushing the smooth wood.

My father swings open the door, stunning me with the amount of strength he still exhibits. The leadership. After Camden's funeral, we got in an argument about Derek. He tried to claim that the pregnancy was his fault and his alone because I was an 'innocent little girl' and he 'took advantage of his situation. and that I was brainwashed into loving Derek.

_"I know you talked to Laura. Where are they?" He said, setting both hands on my shoulders and pushing me into a sitting position on the couch. I crossed one leg over the other, my fingers closing over my necklace protectively._

_"Why?" I replied, casting my glance downward._

_"I'm going to kill him." My eyes widened and I caught a glimpse of the Alpha inside of him._

_"You touch him and I promise you that you will never, ever see me again. I'll never forgive you if you lay a finger on Derek." My voice was a growl, "Daddy, I loved him. We didn't do anything wrong."_

_"You think you're in love with him? He took advantage of you and he's slept with that slut Argent."_

_"You want to blame someone for Derek coming to our house that night? She killed the Hales; she made it so he had nowhere else to go. And you knew. You and mom knew how I felt about Derek and you left Myra and I alone in the house. It's not like he held me down and forced himself on me. I wanted to do everything we did."_

_"You think that makes me feel any better about any of this? You were fourteen years old, Makaylah, fourteen. Consenting to sex at fourteen? Do you know how that makes our family look?"_

_"You're calling me a slut, dad? Is that what you're saying? It's taken you four years to tell me what you really think of me?" I was standing now, straightened up and facing him._

_"No. You aren't a slut. Derek knew what to say and do to get you to consent to whatever he wanted."_

_"Don't sugar-coat what you're saying."_

_"He knew where to touch you to make you horny enough to sleep with him. You even told us that Derek instigated it!"_

_"I instigated a lot of things too, Dad! Hell, I went down on him!" I screamed. Then I was on the ground. He'd slapped me. I was facing my father from the cherry wood floor, staring up at him in shock._

_"Nikolas!" My mother gasped. He growled, monstrous facial expression; with hair along his jaw. He pinned me to the floor, knees in the middle of my thighs to hold me down, bruising my legs as his fist met my nose. I felt it shatter. A scream made its way out of my throat as he assaulted my face. His fingers threaded into my hair and he threw me against the fire place, cutting the back of my head open and allowing blood to trickle out. Ethan was clutching Aiden's arm fearfully as he looked at our father. I had to fight back. I had to fight back, to protect my now eleven year old brothers. I shifted, growling at him and shoving him away from me, until he flipped over the back of the couch._

_"I hate you!" I sprinted into my bedroom and grabbed the suitcase of things I'd brought when I left Cam, throwing my clothes and phone and every other item I owned._

_"Sweetie, where are you going?"_

_"I'm leaving. Mom, if you want to see me you'll have to come to LA or meet me at a restaurant here because I will never, ever come back after this. No man has the right to put their hands on me; especially not dad." and I slung my backpack over my shoulder._

"Nikolas." I say, rolling my shoulders back as I hold his chocolate brown gaze that mirrors mine.

"I thought you were never coming back."

"I left some of my things here and I want them back." I reply, keeping my tone business-like. Brusque.

There's a slight difference in development for werewolf babies. They grow faster if they're a born wolf. If they take after the human counterpart, they take all nine months.

"You have two heartbeats. Are you...?"

"Yes, dad, I'm pregnant." I snap, shoving past him and stomping upstairs into the room to grab my lacrosse equipment. I played the last year of high school, Senior Year. When one of my pictures falls onto the floor, I freeze.

It was a picture I took before Kate. Myra, Derek, Laura, and I at the beach. It was the week before school started freshman year and our entire families went for one last trip. My chest aches, dully. I miss Laura. So much. I take my lacrosse stick and the picture and breeze past my father again. His fingers close around my upper-arm, stilling me in my place.

"I missed you, Kaylah."

"You don't get to call me that anymore. You only deserve to call me by my full first name. You really hurt me, Nikolas. I hope you know that Mom didn't leave just because you assaulted me in our living room. It was because she was afraid that you were going to hurt her...or Ethan or Aiden. You didn't deserve them." Without another word, I turn on my heels and walk out before I get in the car and drive to the school. It's after their practice has just ended. I set the ball down and back up. My eyes close as I remember my teammates from a lifetime ago. I weave and duck until I reach the ball and make a goal in the upper right corner.

"Damn. You're even better than I am." An arrogant voice says. I turn to find Jackson staring at me like predator looks at prey again.

"What do you want?" I roll my eyes, slinging my lacrosse stick over my shoulders and resting my arms over them. He looks me up and down.

"Well. Definitely not that." I growl.

"I want the Bite."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Jackson."

"Sure you don't. But I know what you are," He smirks lazily. I lick my bottom lip, my palms sweating.

"I can't give you what you're looking for. I'm sorry. Only the Alpha can make you one of us and I still don't know who it is. Trust me, you little prick, this isn't as easy as you'd think." I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I can handle this."

"No, you really can't. Please, leave me alone before I tell the principal that you're harassing me." I say as I trudge back to my car. I pull out and drive down the road beside the woods, until my gut wrenches and I stop. Stiles' Jeep is facing my truck; with Derek and Stiles inside. Derek walks across the space until he's outside my window. I cut off the ignition and he lifts me out with his large hands splayed out across my hips. My arms wrap around his shoulders, my body brushing his as he sets me on the ground.

"Congratulations, Daddy." I whisper. His eyes widen, and his heart races.

"So we're...you're..."

"Yeah, we're having a baby." I look up at him nervously. To my surprise, a smile stretches across his face and he spins me around once before setting me down and crashing his lips onto mine. I kiss him back, my hand rested on his now stubbly cheek.

"Mm, babe, you need to shave." I tell him, quietly.

"If I could go home, I would shave." He says, pecking me on the lips and leading me into the jeep. I slip into the back seat politely, picking up my cell phone and dialing Myra's phone number.

"Hey, Little Sis."

"Hey. Would you mind if I bring Derek to dinner tomorrow? I think he needs to see the boys." I meet Derek's seafoam eyes in the mirror as I say it.

"Yeah. Park in the garage." She replies, cheerful.

"Thanks, Myr." I hang up, paying attention to the phone conversation Stiles is having.

"You're not going to make it." Derek says, grumbling.

"I know." He sighs.

"Oh, and one more thing." My boyfriend grabs the back of Stiles' head and slams it against the steering wheel.

"Derek!" I protest.

"Ow! What the hell was that-"

"You know what that was for. Go. GO!" He shuns Stiles into the hospital. After the thin boy is gone, Derek lifts me into his lap and sets his hand on the bump in my stomach with a heartbeat, eyes meeting mine.

"I'm going to be there to protect you and our baby, I promise." Derek whispers, kissing my forehead.

"And I want to protect you." I reply, bumping our noses together. He pecks me on the lips, and I lean into him. My forehead rests against his collarbone, my hand over his heart. His free hand slides around to the divot of my spine. I listen to his heartbeat, feeling it beneath my palm. Until Stiles calls.

"I can't find her."

"Well, ask for Jennifer. She's been looking after my uncle."

"Yeah, well he's not here either."

"What?"

"He's not here. He's gone, Derek." bolt upright in Derek's lap at the sentiment. Oh. My God. Peter's the Alpha.

"Stiles, get out of there right now. It's him. He's the Alpha! Get out!" By the time Derek finishes, I've ripped the door open and starting sprinting into the hospital. I run as hard as I can, following Stiles' scent. By the time I round the corner, with Derek behind me, Stiles is stuck between the nurse and Peter. Derek slides in front of me and elbows her square in the nose.

"That's not nice. She's my nurse."

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way." Stiles ducks down on the floor. I go to step toward them and Derek shakes his head.

"Makaylah, stay away from him."

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family?" Peter says. I growl. Derek lunges for him with a roar, the muscles in his back tightening to prepare to be struck. He throws Derek from one wall to the other while Stiles crawls toward me. Peter picks Derek up by the throat and drags him back in our direction before dropping him and taking a key from the nurse. Stiles pulls me to hide behind the counter, forced to watch.

"You want forgiveness?" Derek stands up and punches him square in the nose. They struggle some more.

"I want understanding." Peter strikes the younger Hale in the face, harder than Derek had. I howl, shifting and crouching next to the only human. Derek slides across the floor and ends up having to lift himself off the ground.

"Becoming an Alpha, taking that from Laura, helped push me over a plateau in the healing process. I can't help that."

Derek's losing. He looks up at me with glass in his hair and blood on his face, turns and crawls to safety, when Peter throws him through a glass window leading to another set of rooms. I fling myself onto the man's back, trying to restrain him from hurting the man I love. Peter simply throws me across the floor like I weigh nothing. I growl and force myself back into a standing position, following the two. They're in an empty OP room, and Peter heals himself completely. Derek's leaning up against a metal wall.

"After all," He's saying, "We're family."

At the word 'family', blue-green eyes flicker to my stomach and back to the Alpha. His expression changes.

"Derek, you're seriously listening to anything he says? He murdered Laura! Your sister that saved your ass for the past 9 years."

"You still have a family. You don't understand." Derek protests, flatly.

"My family is my sister and my baby brothers. If one of my uncles killed them, I sure as hell wouldn't let him start justifying it to me. He's the reason our baby won't have any Hale cousins!" I blurt out.

"You're pregnant." Peter smiles, stepping toward me.

"Don't touch us." I set a hand protectively over my stomach as I back away from him.

"I'm going to be a Great Uncle."

"You just got full use of your human hands. You can go screw yourself if you think you're getting anywhere near my baby or me. I'll rip your arm off if you try." My voice is a snarl.

"We can take revenge for our family, Derek. Everything will be better if you help me kill the rest of them." I can see where it would be convincing. Shaking my head, I roll my eyes.

"Then you can do it on your own. I won't help you kill people." Without another word, I turn on my heels, take Stiles by the arm, and drag him down to the Jeep.

"So, you're pregnant?" Stiles asks, eyes wide as he tries to find the baby bump under my baggy shirt.

"Yes."

"With Derek's baby?" he checks.

"Yes. Now, shut up and help me get to Scott before Peter and Derek do." I reply.

When I see Scott, laying on the floor of the showers in the locker room, I know they've been there. I crouch down beside him as images swirl through his head; Peter shared memories with Scott by force. His eyes flash gold as they open. My heart pounds against my chest, breathing labored. What if the Hunters had found him instead of me? I reach up and brush back his black hair, helping him sit down on a bench. The innocent, fearful look in his eyes reminds me of the expression that my brothers had when my dad was wailing on me.

"I'm going to stop him, Scott." I whisper, "I promise." Stiles then insists I stay at his house for a few days; so that Peter doesn't have an excuse to get anywhere near us.

* * *

"Have you been taking any prenatal vitamins?" The OBGYN asks me as the gel touches my stomach the next day; after work.

"No. I-I just figured out I was pregnant two days ago."

"Well, I would suggest getting the Nature-Made brand and taking two a day. One in the morning and one before you go to sleep."

"How far along am I, exactly?" I ask. If my baby is picking up only the human side of us, than it will develop as slow as a normal child. If it's like us, my pregnancy will take about four months opposed to nine.

"It looks like about 21 weeks." Werewolf. Definitely a Werewolf baby. She looks up at me and smiles, "Do you want to know the sex?" I grin, nodding emphatically.

"A little girl." I turn my head to look at the screen and squeal.

"Thank you so much, Doctor Weston." I smile as she points out hands and feet in the image, and print-outs of the ultrasound.

* * *

Jogging out to my truck, I silently slip into the driver's seat and drive toward the Hale house in the woods. Derek meets me just outside and I smile up at him. My heart races every time I look at him, still. He climbs into the passenger seat of the car and crashes his lips onto mine. I moan, my fingers curved around the back of his neck.

"What was that for?" I say, breathlessly. He shrugs, his hand sliding up and down my thigh as his teeth scrape against my throat. His fingers thread into my hair as he leaves tiny marks all over my skin.

"Derek, stop. We still have that dinner with Myra and the boys and if my brothers see marks all over me they'll seriously go apeshit on your fine werewolf ass. You'll be lucky if Aiden doesn't punch you when he finds out about our baby girl."

"Girl?"

"I had my first ultrasound today." I distantly hand him the pictures and speed off. My sister is impossibly large when she opens the door, kissing my forehead and shaking hands with Derek inside the garage. Her eyes move to my stomach when she hears a heartbeat.

"Not now. I'll tell everyone together." I murmur, keeping my fingers laced through Derek's. His heartrate picks up being outnumbered. That's when I see my mother. In her wheelchair, with graying hair. The Hales were my mother's pack and when they died, so did her strength. I lean in and kiss her on the cheek.

"Ciao, bambina." She murmurs, in her native language. Italian.

"Ciao, mamma."

"Derek," she purses her lips. He shakes hands uneasily with her. The tension from my family to him is thick and wraps around the room. Aiden and Ethan face each-other with raised eyebrows before examining us.

Aiden lifts me up and hugs me, as well as Ethan. Aiden growls at Derek whereas Ethan gives him one of those 'man hugs' where they pat each-other on the shoulder once before the older Beta slips in beside me and drapes an arm around my waist. The sweeter of my brothers is the only one comfortable enough to sit on the other side of Derek than me. The doorbell rings, and I stiffen. Good thing the dining room is out of sight of the front door.

"I know he's here, Myra." My father's gruff voice rumbles. I stand up and crouch defensively in front of Derek the second he enters the room. His eyes flash red and he lunges. I fling myself at him, tackling him to the ground. We struggle, facing off. His fist meets my stomach. It causes a scream to tear through my lips. Warm arms draw me off of the old man and keep me against a warm chest. Derek.

"Stop. Think of the baby." He whispers in my ear. I immediately relax into him. But, this doesn't stop my father. My father growls and springs for Derek again. He hands me off to Ethan, and struggles with Nikolas.

"Dad, stop it! STOP!" I scream before I lunge forward and slam my boot against his temple, sending him sprawling across the floor. Derek pulls me against him, his arms around my waist. His face is covered in blood again and Myra hands me a towel to wipe it off.

"I love you," I whisper, going on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his nose.

"Get the hell out of my house, Dad." Myra growls, "You're not wanted here. If you ever lay a hand on Makaylah, or her mate, I will end you. Understood?"

I keep my head on his chest. His heart skips a beat at the word mate. There's sirens from about a mile away, and we both get into my car and drive the back way to my apartment and I park the car in the slot before we both use our unnatural speed to run to his house.

"I wanted to show you something." He whispers, taking my hands and leading me inside, "Close your eyes." I trust him, so I do it. He lifts me up the stairs and I feel him making me walk forward. I shiver as his mouth touches my ear.

"Open." It's his room. The same way it was before the fire; completely unscathed. Cherry wood desk, with a matching chair, a California King bed with new charcoal gray sheets, broken glass window, and dark blue walls. The last birthday present I gave him, a new lacrosse stick, still sits on the desk covered in dust.

"Oh, My God. It looks exactly the same." I turn to face him. His hands move to the small of my back as he backs us into said room. My fingers play with the strong curve of his neck, down over his heart.

"Ever since I saw you again, there's been something I've wanted to do." He murmurs lowly.

"And what would that be?" I tease, running my fingers down the front of his shirt and tugging on his belt buckle. His eyes darken as his grip on me tightens, leaving bruises. They'll heal. His fingers drift downward, to my backside. I groan and he draws my legs around his waist. My arms lock around his neck to stay up. Almost instantaneously, he pushes his things off of his desk and sets me on top of it, and his mouth crushes mine as he slides his hands up my shirt and rests on top of my bra.

"Derek...You've thought about...on-on the desk?" I break away to murmur.

"Desk, bed, car, even the floor." He growls, one hand sliding around my back to the clasp on my bra, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you." His nose and mouth bury into my throat, his teeth scraping my collarbone. I moan, loudly at the action, my head falling back. He flicks the clasp open and slides the straps down my arms and tugs it out of my shirt, flinging my bra on top of his suitcase of clothes. His hands are immediately on me and I turn my head until my mouth meeting his. My knees stay level with his hips while his hands move and squeeze and touch my skin until my breath is coming in short pants and I can't take anymore. My fingers move downward, and I pull his shirt over his head and it lands with my bra.

"I never get over that." I breathe, gliding my palm up and down his chest.

"What?" He replies, breathless.

"How sexy you are," I pant, watching his eyes darken before he kisses me again, tongue-heavy. His fingers rip my shirt over my head before his mouth reaches my chest, leaving tiny bite marks between my breasts, moving onto my stomach. My fingers slide into his hair as I pull him back to my mouth with bruising force. Derek steps closer to me until the bare skin of his abdomen is pressing against mine. The feel of his skin on mine sends me into a frenzy to get closer. Anything to keep this heat pooling low in my stomach there. I turn my head to suck on the salty flesh of his throat, my fingers fumble with his belt buckle as I do so. After stumbling through it with him chuckling, I finally get his belt off and pants unbuttoned, pushing them down with my feet until he moves away from me just long enough to toss them into our growing pile. His hands stay on my waist, now, and it frustrates the hell out of me.

"What am I, a nun? Derek, I'm only **_half_** naked. What the hell are you waiting for?!" I snap. He smirks, lifting me up again. I grind my hips into his as he reaches between us to pull my leggings off; throwing them. I kick my flats off and pepper kisses along his collarbones and shoulders, my fingers digging deeply into his forearms. He groans at the two pieces of fabric keeping us apart, pulling mine down my legs. I keep myself wrapped around him, scared for him to look at me. My baby bump. I practically rip his boxers down his legs and he pushes himself forward, connecting us. My face buries into his neck as he moves, heat building up. My stomach tightens and I bite my lip to keep from moaning. From making any sound. This makes him stop.

"No. Derek, don't stop." I breathe.

"Why aren't you making noise?"

"What if...what if Scott or Peter show up? I don't want them to hear us." I whisper. He growls, nipping my neck and my chest.

"I don't care. You're mine. Let them hear you." He moves his hips away from me completely and then thrusts forward again. I moan, egging him on. My claws cut into his arms as Derek's hips roll faster, his eyes moving to my bottom lip. His teeth close on it and tug. This throws me over an edge, screaming his name. He follows, moaning mine as he kisses me lazily.

"Trying for twins?" Peter's voice says from downstairs.

"I fucking told you!" I slap the back of Derek's head.

"Ow! Makaylah!"

**Well. :P There's my first lemon, ever. Let me know what you think, ya'll. This was, like, four episodes rolled into one. I'm so excited to write their baby!**


	9. Chapter 9

_I own nothing!_

* * *

**Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned. **

-William Congreve

* * *

"Peter, stay wherever you are." He snarls.

I curse to myself as he picks me up, off the desk, and sets me back on the floor. He kisses across my collar-bones as he redresses me, sliding my underwear up my legs and then my jeans. Derek clasps my bra as his mouth moves to the hollow behind my ear, keeping my shirt off. My boyfriend keeps his eyes locked with mine as he kneels down in front of me and presses his lips to the baby bump.

"I love you," He whispers, tucking my hair behind my ear and pulling me in for a kiss.

"I love you too. Now, get your uncle out of here." I smirk, backing up to sit on his bed. I cross my legs and examine the room.

A picture, one that I haven't seen in years, sits on the bedside table. My fingers close around it and I lift it. A familiar, dark-haired girl with a shy smile and an arm thrown around me. That was when I tried to wear human contacts to be able to take pictures. She was Derek's first girlfriend; before Kate. She was kind, and gentle. A human. But, the thing that made me care about her was she liked me. She involved me, and she would have "girl's nights" with me or send us off for best friend time. I was thirteen, and she was fourteen. It's been so long, I've forgotten her name. But, he hasn't. I know he hasn't; he killed her by mistake. It was the full moon, we hadn't locked ourselves up yet, and she came into the house. Derek and I chased her into the woods. I stopped, but he couldn't. He didn't mean to...they wouldn't even let him see the body. My fingers brush the glass over her face and I set it back down. There's a tug in my stomach and I set my palm on it.

The baby's moving. I stand up and sprint down the stairs. Derek's eyebrows contract at the sight of me. I draw his hand onto my stomach and his eyes go wide. He jerks his warm hand away like a terrified little kid. Peter rolls his eyes at us, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The baby is moving, you lunatic, that's all she's trying to show you." Peter says, calmly. I nod in agreement, biting my bottom lip as I look up at him through my eyelashes. He swallows heavily, his heartbeat jumping as his shaking palm presses back onto my bare stomach. A groan comes from my chest at the feel of his skin on mine, but I choke it back. His blue-green eyes soften when I look into them and he moves his hand around to tuck me in his side. I rest one hand on his chest, the other arm around his back.

"I need it taken care of, Derek." Is all Peter says and then turns to me again, "You can go back to having fun all over the house now."

"Believe me, we will." I narrow my eyes at him as he leaves. Derek runs a hand through his hair, pacing the second he's out of an earshot. It's a wild action that doesn't look right with him. It sets my teeth on edge.

"Derek? Derek, baby, stop." My fingers close around his wrist and he pauses instantly, allowing me to cup his jaw with my hand, scanning his eyes, "What did he ask you to do?"

"Kill Jackson."

"What?! Derek, he's a child! You can't!"

"He's asking too many questions, Makaylah. If he asks something in front of the Argents, we're dead. I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you because of some damn kid."

"That 'damn kid' is a lot like you were when you were his age."

"Do you want him?" He growls, eyes darkening. Not from anger. The same way they darkened upstairs when he was taking my clothes off. I loop my arms around his neck and press myself flat against him.

"Yes, Derek, I want a sixteen year old boy. That's why I let you have your way with me on your desk upstairs. That's why I scream your name all the time, because I want Jackson." I say, sarcastically before jumping up and hooking my legs around his hips. I lace my fingers together at the back of his neck as I smirk down at him.

"Screw it," He mumbles, kissing me hungrily. I sink my teeth into his bottom lip and tug before dropping onto the balls of my feet.

"I want to try something," I breathe. My stomach is sick with nerves. What if I do it wrong? My fingers shake as I undo his belt and drop to my knees.

"You-You don't have to do that." He gasps. A smirk stretches my face and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I want to," I argue, anchoring my thumbs into the waistband of his boxers.

* * *

He cups my face in his hand and crashes his lips onto mine fervently when I come out of the shower.

"I love you, but I think you need to go get some rest. You're taking care of two of you now,"

"Mmhm," I say sleepily, tugging the blankets and sheets around me, "I love you, Derek." I mumble before I fall asleep.

_A thin, pale boy walks forward and sits at the edge of the bed. His dark brown hair sticks up, unruly, with teal eyes. Baby Boy. Baby Boy, as he would be now at eight._

_"Hi, Mom." He whispers, taking my hand in his. I choke back a sob, holding it tightly in mine._

_"Hi, baby."_

_"You were going to name me Jared. That's what Aunt Laura calls me. Call me Jared." He says, flashing me a Derek-like smile._

_"I'm so sorry, Jared. I didn't mean to lose you."_

_"Don't feel sorry, mom. You weren't ready for me yet. Besides, you need Dad. I love you, mom. Please take care of my little sister. I just wanted to see you. Tell Dad that I would've been proud to be his son." He scoots forward in the dream and kisses my forehead._

"You can't do this!" I hear Jackson scream, "Please.I don't deserve it." I bolt upright and run into the hallway. I'm slammed against the wall with a palm over my mouth. Scott McCall. I knee him between the legs to break free.

"I think you do. Look around you! Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you? There's no-one here! There's a reason no-one cares that you drive an expensive car, no-one cares that you have perfect hair, and no-one cares that you're captain of the lacrosse team!" I flinch. He's describing himself when Kate killed everyone in this house.

"Excuse me. Co-Captain," Scott jumps and crouches in front of the stairs. I jog down and sit beside Jackson on the steps.

"I would suggest moving the fuck back." I whisper, scooting him back another step. He keeps a terrified hold on my wrist as I speak.

"Move," Derek growls.

"No."

"Fine, I'll kill you too." He snarls at Scott. We both hear an arrow fire. I pull Jackson to hide behind the staircase and cover my eyes. Bullets richochet around.

"Makaylah, get him out of here!"

"I am not leaving you alone with the Hunters!" I scream back. He grabs Scott by the shirt and shoves him out the back door. I keep a hold of Jackson, his face hidden in my shoulder. My boyfriend decides to be the hero after one last look at me. He swings open the door and roars loudly at her. My stomach is sick again, this time in an unpleasant way. I hear Kate's laugh and the thud of a body hitting the ground. But, I have to protect the human.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here." I whisper, closing my fingers into the crook of his elbow as I sprint out of the house with him in tow. As soon as I know we're safe, I shove him onto his ass.

"I oughta kill you!" I scream, kicking his ribs, "I told you to stay the hell away from this!"

"I-I...He told me he was going to give me the bite!"

"You're a dumbass! I'm pregnant, with Derek's kid! If he's dead, I'm on my own dealing with the hunters while having a freaking baby. You put my life, my baby's life, Derek's, and Scott's lives, in danger. Thanks a lot!" I snarl, "Now, get the hell home and don't say a word about this to anyone!"

I sink to the ground, bawling my eyes out. _If Kate kills him...I'll join Peter and make sure she pays for it._


	10. Chapter 10

I own nuffing! A/N: Yes, I know that in the show there's only 3 days between Co-Captain and Formality but it's three weeks in my fanfiction because I want it to be. (: Almost finished with Season One in here!

* * *

_I was the match and you were the rock. Maybe we started this fire...These are the things, the things we lost. The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire...Flames, they licked the walls. Tenderly, they turned to dust all that I adore._

_-_Bastille, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE.

* * *

When John Stilinski shows up to my apartment, I automatically think the worst. Derek's dead. He's here to tell me my mate is dead. That's when I see Ethan and Aiden behind him; tears streaming down Ethan's face with his twin's arm draped over his shoulders- a bandage around Aiden's midsection. I rush forward, at his other side with his arm around me as we walk him inside and lay him across my couch. My fingers reach up and I cup my younger brother's cheek in my hand. Ethan's chin presses into my collarbone as he whimpers.

"What the hell happened?"

"Makaylah, I-I don't know how to say this...There's been a fire. I am so sorry. Ethan and Aiden are the only two survivors." My palm covers my mouth as sobs wrack my body. My vision blurs and I turn my head to rest in the crook of Ethan's shoulder.

His hand rests at the back of my head, free arm wrapped around my lower back to keep me securely close.

"There are eight bodies inside. I hate to ask you this, but could you identify them?"

"No, I'll do it. Sheriff, my sister's pregnant. I don't want to upset her." Ethan whispers, lips pressing against the crown of my skull. Aiden's palm presses against my spine, rubbing my back to comfort me. I meet his brown eyes and move into his arms. He encircles me, arms almost too-tight.

"How far along are you?" The Sheriff squints at my stomach. I subconsciously set my palm on top of her.

"37 weeks." I whisper. He drops it, green eyes hardening. He knows. He knows Derek is the father. Who else would it be?

I slide Derek's tee shirt over my head, tucking it into my jeans and shrugging on the leather jacket he gave me several weeks ago. The smell soaks into my skin. Gods, I miss him.

"M, where are you going?" Aiden asks from the couch; where he's still healing.

"Stay here. I'm going for a walk." I reply, closing the door behind me. The baby rolls over and I grin.

"Hi, baby girl," I breathe, leaning up against the wall as the street spins around me in circles, "We're going to go find your daddy."

I walk until I reach a small hill overlooking the city, only to find the only other beta crouching.

"Scott?" I whisper, "What are you doing here?"

He growls at me and then straightens up at the sound of my little girl's heart accelerating at the sound.

"Why did that happen?"

"She doesn't recognize your voice and—and your growl scared her." I whisper, tucking my hair behind my ear, "Please help me find Derek."

"Why? He's helping Peter."

"C'mere." I draw his hand forward and set it on my stomach. Being stubborn and untrusting like her father, she kicks Scott's hand away. He gasps at the force.

"That is why I need to find Derek. This baby and I love him...and he loves us." I tell him. He opens his mouth, crouches back down, and howls. The shift overwhelms me. The baby kicks at the sound of Derek's reciprocating howl, and I drop on all fours and sprint.

He trails behind me as we follow the drawn out noise until we make our way into an underground tunnel, walking in silence.

I slam my fist against the hunter's jaw, sending him reeling back. His head slams against the cement wall. Derek is suspended against bars, shirt off, white gauze attaching an electric current to his smooth skin. I reach up to unlatch it, but am unable. A pain shoots across my lower stomach, down through my uterus. I double-over in shock, clutching my stomach.

Scott helps me into a chair.

"Are you going into Labor?"

"No. No, it's just Braxton–Hicks. My water would break if I were going into labor. I'll be fine, just get him down." I hiss at the throbbing.

I don't listen as they argue about Allison. My baby rolls toward my spine—away from the shouting match. She shifts every time Derek shouts. The sour, dark aura of fear drifts from her to me. My baby's emotions, lately, have been spread through me.

"Stop!" I finally scream as I rest my hand on her again, before lowering my voice, "She hates yelling. It scares her. Derek, she knows your voice. When you get angry, so does she."

"She has emotions already?" He asks, facing me from where he stands. Those beautiful eyes meet mine.

"Yeah. And she—she likes the sound of your voice." I stutter slightly. "I swear to God, she is just like you. Stubborn, Wary, and always chooses to be more..active at night." I tease, standing up and raking my nails down his chest. Motivation to get down. He rips through the chains, cups my face between his large hands as he kisses me ardently. I giggle against his lips, wrapping my fingers around his wrists and running my thumb over the bone.

"I worried about you," I breathe, closing my eyes and brushing our noses. All three of us escape, walking the back exit and emerging in the middle of the woods with no pursuit. My BHHS hoodie meets my mid-thighs. I'd stripped Derek's clothing and handed it to him back in the other room. It took all of his self–control not to jump me; because Scott was present. I am not a kinky person...if he saw us making love, I would die.

Derek's fingers were interlaced with mine as we made our way through the trees to his home without pursuit. The warmth of his hand reminds me just how different life without him was. Dull.

"It feels like that was t–"

"Don't say too easy. People say too easy and bad things happen." Scott whispers.

The sound of an arrow being released echoes in my ears. Derek pushes me to the ground on my back, covering my body with his seconds before an arrow enters his skin.

"Scott, your eyes!" Derek shouts. I reflexively cover mine with my arms. The boy is too shocked to move.

"Allison?" He breathes in shock. I scoot to look over Derek's shoulder. Kate and Allison. Oh. Shit.

Then Derek's standing up with him in front of me, shoving me forward as he grips Scott's shoulder and pushes him. An arrow pierces his shoulder and he falls back onto his ass. I go to run to him, but Scott snakes his arms around my shoulders and backs us up until we're a safe distance away. They're walking toward us and I spring to my feet.

Kate. I won't lose another baby to her. My palm covers my terrified baby as she gets closer to us. Allison freezes.

"Ms. Duchannes?" She says, surprised.

"Allison, please." I whisper.

"Pregnant with Derek's baby," Kate barks out a laugh, "You literally are his bitch again—aren't you? I will give you props for keeping him around, though. He's great in bed."

"Shut the fuck up, Kate." I growl at her words.

"Ooh, feisty," She smirks, turning to Allison and handing her a pistol.

"You said we were just going to catch them!" Allison's fearful brown eyes widen. The little Hale moves, kicking in the bitch's direction. I glance down to find my baby's fist stretching slightly over and over as she punches.

"We did that, and now we're going to kill them. See?" I let out a horrified choking sound as she shoots my Derek in the chest, "Not that hard."

I start toward him, but Scott tightens his arms. I rest my fingers against his wrists.

The teenager looks at us, my stomach, and then back at her Aunt.

"Oh, I know that look." Kate shakes her head as Scott draws me behind him, "That's the 'you're gonna have to do it yourself' look."

My fingers close around his shoulder blades as she aims the gun for Scott's head.

Allison tries to pull her hand away, saying while saying "Kate, you can't. She's pregnant." The caramel haired Argent pushes her to the dirty ground.

"I really do love those big brown eyes." There's another gunshot and she turns. I follow her line of vision to find her brother.

"I know what you did, Kate. You burned down this house with the Hales inside 8 years ago, and tonight you burned down Myra Duchannes' home with her husband, her mother, her father, Myra, her unborn child, and her three children inside. Innocent children, Kate." My heart stops. I think of Ethan and Aiden.

"I was doing what I was told."

"And now? Look at you! You're pointing a gun at a pregnant woman and a 16-year-old boy."

I lunge. The element of surprise is on my side and we crash to the ground—her gun lost. My knees press into her chest, one hand guarding my stomach as the other fists up and meets her face. It bruises her skin until familiar arms snake around my waist to haul me back. I turn around and wrap my arms around his abdomen, my face burying into his warm chest.

Derek kisses the top of my head, keeping me in his embrace. There's a quiet, clear howl and my pulse jumps. Peter. In the house.

"Stay out here," he tells me, leading me forward until I'm beside Allison.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you, both of you." He whispers, brushing his palm against my stomach before he disappears.

"Your brothers. Where are they?" Chris asks, his hand on my arm. I wrap one around my trembling student's shoulders as she stares blankly into the home. There's a pressure in my abdomen and I double over again. Damn Braxton Hicks!

Both help me sit down against a tree. It releases the pressure.

"My brothers are at my apartment."

"Go make sure they're safe. Makaylah, you aren't going to be any help but a distraction to Derek right now. You have to protect that baby."

"Promise me that Derek is going to come back to me. That you aren't going to kill him the second I'm gone."

"I swear on my daughter's life that I'll do everything I can to get him back to you."

I run as hard as I can until I'm back at the apartment, slipping in the door. Ethan's asleep on the floor, curled up with his arms around his knees. Aiden's fallen asleep on the couch, snoring loudly. Such polar opposites.

"Boys," I murmur, them shout to wake them up, "Boys!"

They bolt up, onto their feet, looking dazed and confused,

"You're home!" Ethan pulls me into a tight hug, keeping the baby in mind. I kiss him on the cheek.

"Are you alright? Eth, I know mama and dad were inside."

"The fire didn't kill dad," He replies.

"We did." His twin replies.

"What?"

"He was looking for you. When I wouldn't give him your address, he punched me square in the face a few times, until Aid pulled him off. Things got out of hand and—and we killed him together." The sweeter of the two tells me.

Tears blur my vision as I jerk away. Aiden smirks at my reaction, like it's some form of sick entertainment for him. Both their eyes glow red now.

"Go to bed," I sigh—not knowing what else to say, "You have my bed until I decide what else to do with you."

My head throbs shortly after they disappear into my room. I assume Ethan's going to be forced to sleep on the floor. Stepping into the kitchen, I curl my fingers into the bottom of the counter, my palms spread apart as my head hangs down.

"Sis?" Ethan says from behind me. He moves closer until he's right beside me.

"Thank you," he murmurs.

"What for?"

"Not throwing us out when you found out about dad."

Curiosity drifts from my baby girl.

"That's your uncle Ethan," I coo down at her, "You're going love him." I meet my younger brother's dark eyes, "Give me your hand." I guide his hand to my swollen stomach. He smiles as she rolls closer to him.

"Wow. She's so...Like one of us. Already."

"I know. Now, baby brother go to bed. Please. I'm waiting for Derek."

"Okay. Goodnight." He kisses me on the cheek before heading back into my room and closing the door. I grab a bottle of red Mountain Dew from the fridge. Not as good as the three vodka flavors in my fridge, but I can't drink with my little fighter.

"Daddy's going to be home soon, baby girl. Please go to sleep tonight instead of soccer practice. Your aunt Cora would've loved you; you'll be amazing at soccer. Although Daddy's going to try to get you not playing any sports to keep you safe, you can do anything you want." I say, swaying around the kitchen as I speak to her. She's gurgling, asleep inside of me. Warm hands skim my arms, as his mouth moves lightly along my jaw.

I turn around and pull Derek's face to mine—kissing him forcefully.

"You're okay," I note as we curl up on my couch; me sitting with my back to his chest and his hands gliding along my stomach.

"I have to tell you something," he whispers, "Kate's dead...and I killed Peter. I'm the Alpha, now."

I turn to slide both sets of fingers into his hair as our eyes meet.

"Learning to be an Alpha and a dad at the same time?"

"I can do this,"

"I know. That's why you're going to help me name her. What do you think of Brielle Talia Hale?" I whisper, bumping his nose with mine.

"I love it almost as much as I love you." He whispers before his lips meet mine and he pulls me even closer.

"How did Brielle know my voice?" He asks after a moment of silence.

"I called your phone and played the voicemail recording a lot while she had you locked up." I pull my knees to my chest, lacing our fingers together and setting them on top of my kneecap with my head on his shoulder. I want this. Family, with him.

Apparently, my brothers don't agree. Both have disappeared by the time we wake up in the morning.


	11. Chapter 11

"How far apart are the contractions?" Doctor Deaton asks as I sit on the table, whimpering in pain as Stiles holds my hand. I went into labor before class started this morning, two weeks earlier than my due date.

"About every ten minutes," Stiles answers for me. He's let me squeeze the hell out of his hand since we left school. I can't go to my doctor, because my pregnancy took 1/3 the normal time. That and my baby isn't human.

"Have you called Derek?" I say through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, Kaylah. He's coming." He nods, "Ow! OW! Contraction?"

"Mmhmm." I moan in pain. The vet times them just as the front door opens.

"Derek?" Stiles calls.

"Stiles, let me in." His voice is almost frantic. I roll my shoulders back contentedly at the sound. The flailing teenager ran clumsily into the other room, and then my Alpha was at my side in seconds, cupping my face between his hands.

"Hey," I growl.

"Hey, ready to see Brie?"

"Hell yes. I wish morphine worked."

"Derek, you can take some of her pain away." The doctor tells us, setting Derek's hand on my hip.

He gasps, black snaking up the veins in his forearms. The aching eases up and my tension does. He moves beside me, taking Stiles' place holding hands with me. His odd eyes widen, dancing around like a scared child. Another set of contractions, this time less than two minutes apart, strikes painfully. I let out a scream. Derek takes some pain again, kissing my temple.

"Am I dilated enough yet?" I whimper.

"9 centimeters; so almost."

"Have you delivered a non-animal baby before?" I gasp out, turning my head into Derek's shoulder.

"Yes. I delivered Derek and all of his siblings." The Hale's head snaps up at his name.

(3rd Person)

Derek feels terrible when she starts pushing. Their bloodstreams ate away at any medication, so Makaylah is forced to have a natural birth. He flinches as her fingers tighten hard enough that he heard three of his fingers break at the knuckles. Stiles had left the room, sick to his stomach at the low pain threshold she has. Silence as she pushes again. The dark-haired girl bit so hard that she split her bottom lip open. Stiles had been sitting in a chair near the entrance and bolted upright once he heard the baby crying.

(Makaylah)

My heart stops once I see her. Long and slender, pale skinned, a head full of auburn curls; just like Cora's was. But, it's when I see her eyes that a smile stretches across my face. She has Derek's eyes. Doctor Deaton cleans her off, measures, and measures her before he sets her in my arms. I pull her to my chest, burying my nose into her hair and setting my hand on her small back.

"Hi, Brie." I murmur, sitting up all the way and turn her just enough to look at Derek.

"Hi, baby." He whispers, eyes trained on her. At the sound of his voice, the newborn smiles and her hand reaches toward him. Derek moves his hand forward at her insistence and she wraps her palm around his forefinger.

"Ouch!" He gasps, "She's strong,"

"Just like her daddy. Aren't you, Brielle?" I tap her nose lightly with my finger, causing her to giggle. Her eyes flash gold before fading back to normal. Derek climbs up onto the table beside me and draws me into his lap. His arms wrap around my waist from behind, his chin rested on my collarbone as he examines our daughter.

"Stiles, come in here." I call, quietly. He slips into the room, and his honey-brown eyes widen as he looks at her. The young boy steps cautiously closer until he's on my other side.

"This is Uncle Stiles. Stiles, this is Brielle Talia Hale."

"Hi, pretty girl." He cooes at her, leaning in and making faces at her to which she raises her little eyebrows as if to say 'seriously?' It's the exact same way as her father. My head leans back as I burst out laughing.

"Derek, she looks like you." The human says, looking over at him.

"Doctor Deaton, is she going to keep growing really fast?"

"At the rate she's going, I would say yes. It'll slow down, but I suggest keeping her out of the public eye until it's slowed down."

"When will she stop growing?" Derek murmurs, rubbing his hand down his face with stress. She's reached for him again and he pulls her to his chest, holding her and tickling her stomach. I can't help the smile at the sight. My daughter's tinkling laugh with a wide smile; perfect little pearls for teeth. So, so much like her father.

"By the time she physically looks like a toddler. Derek, you grew very fast when you were little. By the time you were 10 months old, you looked like a Kindergartener. It appears she picked up this trait. Bring her in at the end of a week, so I can measure her again. She's 8 pounds, and 26 inches long as of right now. That's the average height of a one year old. I would suggest not breast feeding; she'll grow out of that very fast. I tried feeding her with a nipple bottle, and she's stubborn. Brielle drank out of a regular bottle,"

"Okay. So, we're safe to take her home?" I squeal.

"Yes, you can take her home now. Oh, and one more thing. Her mental capacity is fantastic. She is the mist intelligent newborn I have ever seen. Because of her growth rate, her IQ will develop faster than a human child. Her speech and learning will be extremely fast...Within the week, I would assume."

"Thank you, Doctor Deaton." I smile at him, hopping down from the table and reaching for my clothes. My stomach has instantly gone back to it's regular muscled, flat skin. I can wear my regular clothes...except my bra. My breasts got bigger, because of Brielle.

It's too tight, but I ignore it and tug on a navy sweater with green palm trees, light jeans, and my favorite Steve Madden boots. He presses into my back, one arm snaking around my waist as his mouth drops down onto the base of my neck—nipping the skin. I groan, quietly, turning my head to meet his gaze full-on.

"I love you," he whispers.

"I love you,"

It's dark by the time all three of us walk into my apartment. I bounce her lightly as I carry her into the enclave I've set her crib in. Just under the window; right where the moon would hit her. The baby rolls after I've tugged the blanket up around her shoulders, snoring. I smile.

"She's asleep already. Such a good baby," I murmur. His hands rest on my hipbones, his chest pressing into my back as he stares down at her.

"I can't believe we made her," he whispers.

"I can. She's as gorgeous as her father." He spins me around to face him, pulling me in and crashing his lips onto mine. I moan, winding my arms around his broad shoulders and pushing my tongue through his lips and sliding it across his. My stomach drops as his hands make their way up my shirt and onto my bra.

"Derek, we can't...for a month. It'll take that long for me to heal." I breathe, "No matter how much I want to."

"I think I can wait that long." He says.

"Are you sure?" I slide one hand down his chest and down even further to press my palm against the bulge in his jeans, "Because it feels like you're going to explode."

"Don't tempt me," he murmurs, hands moving around to press me harder against him. His face buries into my neck to drag his teeth across my skin.

"I think I can help," I take both hands in mine and back into the bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you really want our daughter to see me giving you a blow-job?" I ask, looking at him through my eyelashes as I undo his belt, and pull down his jeans. He growls when I unzip his boxers.

"You have to be quiet...Don't wake her up," I breathe just before I take him in my mouth.

I shift in sleep, my palm rested against his sternum as I bury my nose in the warm flesh of his neck. Derek's having a nightmare; sweating, chest heaving with short breaths, heart racing.

"I'm sorry...so sorry, Paige."

Paige. That was her name. I roll over and grab the picture; of the two of us. Dry sobs wrack his body. I sit up and pull his head onto my shoulder, forehead against my collarbone.

"Derek, baby, wake up." I whisper, setting both hands on his face as his eyes flash open. They flash blue and then burn red as he sits up. I remember sitting outside, hearing him cry the night Paige died. We've been asleep for just an hour.

"Kaylah?" Derek whispers, attempting to slow his heartbeat. I press our foreheads together.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." I whisper, "I'm not going to leave you like she did."

"My eyes are different..." He whispers in the exact same tone as when he was a fifteen year old boy again. Only this time, they're red. I take a deep breath.

"Different, but still beautiful. Just like the rest of you." I reply, trying to calm him down. It's what Talia told him when his Wolf eyes went from gold to blue.

"You were there?"

"Yeah, I was. I—I sat outside until your mom carried you up. You fell asleep crying." I admit. He lifts me into his lap, nuzzling my jaw.

Brielle lets out a cry.

"I'll get her." Derek whispers, bumping my nose with his as he stands up.

"Hey, Brie," he whispers as he pulls her into his arms. She stops crying the instant he touches her.

(Derek)

Brielle's little palm closed around the neck of my shirt, her nose burying into my skin. The same way as her mother. A grumbling echoes from her stomach, and she raises her head to look at me and raise both eyebrows pointedly. I try not to laugh.

"Hungry, baby girl?" I tickle her belly and a bell-like little laugh tears through her chest and I can't help but join her. Makaylah says she's like me, but she reminds me of her when MK was ten. Brielle squirms impatiently, and I take a bottle out from the fridge. I reach over to open the microwave, when my newborn narrows her eyes at me.

"No." Her voice is clear, high–pitched, and eerily like Makaylah's at her age.

"Makaylah! Come here." I call, staring evenly at my daughter in shock. Makaylah stalks into the kitchen, barefoot, wearing only her jeans and bra. I let my eyes follow the line of her body, trying not to let my mouth water as she stalks toward us.

"What is it?" She smiles, swooping in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Watch." I move for the handle and once again, Brielle speaks.

"You want it cold, sweetie?" My mate asks, taking the bottle from me and holding it up.

"Yes." The red-haired girl says calmly. Makaylah's eyes dance as she lifts our daughter into her arm and feeds her. I can only see the outline of her now. Just as beautiful as always, only more grown up. Curvier, with her hair now level with her lower-back.

She sings as she rocks the baby.

It takes a moment to realize that my mother used to sing it to us. I want to pull them both close and never let go. Stiles looked at her when she was changing and I wanted to gouge his eyes out with a rusty spoon. This possessive side takes over. I don't want anyone else to have her. I don't want anyone else to steal her heart.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Her fingers reach forward and the second they touch my skin—it bursts into flames. I wrap both arms around her waist and flatten her against me. Her heart skips a beat when I brush my lips against the shell of her ear, moving down her neck.

"Marry me," I breathe. She gasps before going on her tiptoes.

"Of course I will," she replies, kissing me roughly once, "Now, go over to the old house and bring some clothes back."

(3rd Person)

It was the night he offered Isaac the bite, on his way to his home.


	12. Chapter 12

AU SEASON TWO, PEEPLES!

**Two Months Later**

I suck in a deep breath through my nose when my back meets the wall and his body flattens against mine. His hands slide up the back of my shirt as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. The skin on skin contact makes my whole body burst into flames, and I arch into him.

"Derek," I moan—loudly—as I pull back and dip my head down to suck on the spot behind his ear. Derek growls, arms leaving from their place around me as I pull his shirt over his head. My breath still catches at the sight of his ripped abdomen.

"What? Did I hurt you?" He murmurs, head tilting up to kiss my forehead.

"No. I just...You..." I can't think of how to phrase it. Instead, I bend down to press my lips to the soft skin at his hips—just above the hem of his jeans. I work my way to the other side before I kiss across his entire stomach, dragging my tongue across his sweaty skin. He groans, pulling me back up into a harsh kiss. I hook one of my legs around him and he uses the other to tug me to rest on his hips. I lock my ankles as I tug on his raven hair, my hips rolling forward into his.

"Kaylah," he growls against my lips, eyes burning red when I open mine briefly. I smirk, reaching between us and tug my shirt over my head. Thank God for Erica and Boyd taking Brie to the lacrosse game.

We got kicked out of my apartment; my landlady believed Derek was a criminal. We've been living in my childhood home since. All 6 of us. Derek, Brielle, and I, with the other Betas.

Derek turns away from the wall and lowers us to the bed. His mouth leaves mine and leaves a blazing trail of open mouthed kisses down my throat, his hands stroking my sides. My head lolls back, biting my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

"You're so soft," he whispers into my skin. I feel a smile stretching across my face before he moves back up to kissing me. My hands glide down his torso until I reach his jeans, teasingly pressing my palm against him before I unzip and push the fabric down his legs. He pulls away completely to take them off. When I go to take off my own, his hands shoot out and pin them above my head.

"No. My job, not yours." His eyes burn red now. I shift in response, growling up at him. Derek strips my jeans quickly and scoots down my legs, kissing and nipping up my inner thighs. Once he reaches the space between my legs, I rip my hands free and pull him back up.

"No. I want you, all of you, before they get home." I breathe. I reach into my side table drawer and pull out a condom. He quirks an eyebrow at me.

"I don't want another baby right now." I shrug, stripping him the rest of the way and rolling it on before he has time to react. He literally rips off my panties and pushes me back into a laying position, my legs on either side of his hips as he pushes forward, into me.

I growl his name, lifting my hips to match his thrusts. One of his hands spreads across my stomach to hold my hips down, the other holding both wrists above my head.

"Let me touch you," I whimper, "Please!"

He grins, moving harder. I growl, attempting to pull my hands free. _So this is what being with an Alpha feels like. _He's acting like the arrogant fifteen year old that dominated at any sport he wanted; wanting complete control.

Using all my strength, I lean up and brush my canines against his collarbone, across his shoulder. This distracts him long enough for me to pull one hand free and pull his away from my hips. I feel my stomach tightening, getting close. So close.

"Derek, I'm-I'm..." I groan, hooking my arms under his and clutching his shoulders. I draw blood, dragging my claws up and down. He groans, teeth closing around the flesh at the base of my neck.

"DEREK!" I scream, tightening my legs around him. He keeps thrusting his hips, bringing himself closer and closer to his end.

I trace my fingers over the popped vein in his neck, curling them around it. Still panting, I close my teeth around his earlobe and tug. He growls. I feel myself being thrown toward the edge again. His teeth sink into the junction of my neck and shoulder and I relax into him again. This time, he follows with a deep growl. We lay still for a while before his teeth retract and he pulls out. I kiss him lazily, staring at the diamond on my finger.

"I love you, Derek Hale."

"Mm, I love you too, Mrs. Hale." he murmurs with a smile. The corner of his mouth twitches upward before he turns his head to trail his nose from my cheekbone, behind my ear, down the curve of my neck, my collarbone.

I giggle in spite of myself.

"I think I could get used to hearing you call me that." I whisper. Derek hums, quietly.

"I missed this. Being close to you." he says in my ear. I shiver at the hot breath on my skin. He turns and brushes a kiss across my bare shoulder.

"Me too," I reply, pecking him on the lips, "Come on. We need to shower and wash the sheets before they get home."

I stand up and he moves onto his knees. Grabbing both my wrists, he rolls back to the bed and hovers over me, tracing his finger along my jaw.

"We need to talk about something." He starts, "I-" I press my finger against his lips to stop him.

"If it's going to ruin this, then at least wait until we're out of the shower." I nip at his jaw affectionately, take his hand and pull him into my bathroom. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and back into the shower, the hot water almost scalding. His mouth moves into the juncture of my neck, his hands on my backside to pull me flat against him. Two months without being physical makes it more immediate. Derek lifts me, drawing my legs around his slim hips once again. He flattens my spine against the cold wall as he kisses me harder.

* * *

After I've wrapped a towel around my sore and wet body, I look in the mirror. The bite mark in my throat from the bed, and the one on my shoulder blade from the shower are painful and almost savage.

"Oh, God. Look at that." He murmurs, brushing my hair back before tracing his fingers over them.

"I'll heal. It's okay."

"It's not okay. Makaylah, I hurt you."

"You don't know your own strength yet, love, it's fine. I knew it's was going to happen." I loop my arms around his neck, closing my eyes and bumping my nose against his.

"And you still wanted to be with me?"

"Of course," I reply, "I always want to be with you. Now, what is it you wanted to tell me earlier?"

"There's an Alpha Pack coming for me. That's why we have to build up our Pack, to fight them." I run my hands through my wet hair in frustration.

"Seriously? We're dealing with Jackson as a Kanima, raising our daughter who looks like a three year old and thinks like a five year old, and now a fucking Alpha Pack too?! Not to mention my brothers are missing, Victoria and Gerard Argent are now working with me, and I have to watch four Betas, Lydia, and Stiles!" He pulls me to him, arms around my shoulders, and presses his lips against the crown of my head.

"Baby, calm down. Ethan and Aiden can take care of themselves. Stiles and Lydia have Allison protecting them." He murmurs, keeping me close to him. I nuzzle my nose further into his warm skin, my arms wrapped around his abdomen.

"Why is it always us?" I reply, "Why can't we ever just be happy without everything falling apart?" His hands skim the back of my arms, trying to relax me. I move my nose up his skin and bury it in his neck.

"I don't know. But I promise nothing is going to happen to you or our daughter. I'm going to protect you." He tells me.

"I'm not worried about me, or her. I don't want anything to happen to you. I lived nine long-ass years without you, I won't do it again." I whisper, looking between his eyes, "Understood?"

He nods, ducking his head down to catch my lips with his. His hand rests at the nape of my neck, the other at my side as his arm winds around me.

"I love you, okay? I love you and I'm not going anywhere." Derek whispered, turning his head to kiss the underside of my jaw.

"Mm, if you keep doing that, we're both going to end up needing another shower." I murmur, stepping back to head toward the bedroom again. A gasp flies through my lips as he sets me on the counter, stepping between my legs. My knees are level with his hipbones and I automatically wrap my arms loosely around his shoulders. I trace the shape of his Triskele tattoo with my fingertips.

"I want to put this on me." I tell him, bumping my nose against his again.

"Where?" He growls, seductively.

"Why don't you show me where you want it?" I bite my lip, looking into his now dark eyes. He smirks, grasping the front of my towel and pulling it off. The cold bathroom sends shivers up my spine.

"Well, maybe here." He leans in and open-mouthed kisses just beneath my collarbone. My head lolls back. He steps back just enough to bend down and press his lips against my hip and speaking into my skin, "Here." I shiver. He sets me back on the floor and turns me to face the mirror, him standing behind me. Derek lifts my hair and sucks down the back of my neck and down my spine, between my shoulders, "Here." He moves down to my lower back, his tongue sweeping against my sweaty skin, "I like here." His mouth moves to the end of my shoulder and his soft lips work their way back toward my neck. I reach back behind me and wrap my arm around his strong neck.

"I can't stop touching you," he says in my ear, dragging his bottom lip up the shell of my ear. I growl lowly, turning in his arms and pulling his face roughly to mine. He growls in an animal tone and sucks on my bottom lip.

"Derek? Makaylah?" I can hear Erica say from downstairs, and curse under my breath.

"Erica, we'll be down in a minute." I call back.

"Honeymoon's over," I shrug as I whisper it. He groans, head leaning down to rest on my collarbone. We get redressed in silence, my whole body sore from our evening spent entirely in bed. He finishes first, taking the cotton sheets off the bed, balling them up and brushing a kiss across the top of my head as he takes them into the laundry room.

"Mommy!" Brielle sprints across the room as I'm pulling my tee shirt on. I lift her into my arms and set her on my hip.

"Did you have fun with Erica?" I ask, sitting on the bed as she faces me. I tuck a loose curl behind her ear, smiling as I listen to her tell me stories about the lacrosse game. The bed dips as Erica sits cross-legged beside me.

A week ago, Brielle asked us if Erica was her sister. I told her yes, because they are in a way. I feel like a parent to the three teens.

"Uncle Scott was so good, Mommy. So was Jackson." I laugh, tapping her nose with my finger.

"Daddy and I used to play lacrosse." I tell my little girl.

"And Mommy was better than me at it," He grins, sitting behind me and pulling me to rest against his chest.

"Liar," I tease over my shoulder. He swoops in and pecks me on the lips. I wrinkle my nose playfully.

"You two are so freaking adorable." Erica shakes her head, smiling at the two of us.

"I'm tired," The youngest of us whines, pouting. Derek ruffles her hair and she giggles.

"I'll take her," He offers, kissing the top of my head.

"Goodnight, Brie. I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy. Night, sissy!"

"Night, Brielle." Erica smiles at her as he carries her toward Myra's old room.

Erica has Ethan and Aiden's old room to herself, and the boys have two double beds in my parents' old room. We've holed up in my bedroom; the same one half our childhood was spent in watching movies, until the night of the fire when all childish thoughts left the room.

"When are you going to get married?" The blonde asks, her head rested on my shoulder.

"I don't know. Soon," I whisper, leaning my head against hers. She smiles.

"How was Stiles tonight?"

"He sat on the bench, as usual."

"And you stared at his ass, as usual." I nudge her playfully and she breaks out laughing. Derek leans against the doorframe and watches us. Erica doesn't see him, and I don't say anything. Erica reminds me of my sister when we were that age; it's comforting. We buried my family next to Derek's, a couple of days after Ethan and Aiden left.

"We need to get downstairs. Training time," I stand up, ushering her forward. Erica walks down the thin hall and toward our stairs, tying her hair up as she does. As I go to pass him, Derek grasps my wrist and pulls me against his chest. I bite my bottom lip, staring at his.

"Yes?"

"I have our wedding license. You just have to set the date."

"Next week. I have to get a dress."

"I'm fine with you wearing anything you want to. You could go in a bra and panties for all I care."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I brush my lips against his.

"No. Then other people would see you and you're mine."

"You're insane," I kiss the corner of his jaw and follow the other Beta.

My family had an entire downstairs dedicated to learning to defend ourselves and lock ourselves up. A floor made of sparring mats, and chains on the walls. There were more than a few times when I was younger that I almost kissed Derek. But, I was smart enough to reign myself in. After Paige died, I came here and beat the hell out of the punching bag, crying until Myra came downstairs and held onto me.

She was different than Kate; But, I don't wish she'd lived. If she had, I wouldn't have him. He would still be with Paige. I stare at the other three Betas and start to feel self-conscious. I can fight. I'm strong. But I've never, ever been a good fighter. Just enough to defend myself.

There's an Alpha, at USC. He was the one who kept us in check when I attended. He's near 90, and before I left he asked me to kill him. To take that from him so he could finally be with his wife that died two decades ago. I didn't do it.

"I'll, uh...I'll be right back." I walk outside, just out of Derek's hearing range before I dial. He answers in a tired croak.

"Mr. King?" I ask, "It's Makaylah Duchannes."

"I was waiting to hear from you, dear."

"Is the offer to become an Alpha still on the table?" I whisper.

"Of course."

"How soon could you be in Beacon Hills?"

"Two hours."

"Meet me by the memanon. I'll be there shortly."

I don't tell Derek I'm leaving. To wait for Alexander King. I sneak just inside the door and pull my leather jacket onto my shoulders. My hands dive into my pockets as I walk.

The cold, October air assaults my senses cruelly while I wander almost aimlessly.

I find myself at a small tombstone in the grave yard, crouching down beside it.

"Hey, Paige. I know I haven't visited you in a while. I'm sorry; I've been busy, you know? I just wanted to come say I've been thinking of you. You were one hell of a friend, and amazing cellist." I reach down and draw a Triskele into the dirt on her grave before I make my way to my parents' graves.

"I'm so sorry." I find myself sinking to my knees and sobbing.

"Makaylah?" A voice says. I spring up and whirl to face her. Allison Argent is facing me.

"I'm sorry I startled you...I was just visiting my aunt's..." She trails off uncomfortably. I scratch the back of my neck.

"Look, I'm sorry. About Kate." She continues, moving closer and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"It's not your fault. Kate started hurting me a very long time ago." I say.

"My father told me about everything. Your and Derek's first baby and the fire two months ago. I really, really feel terrible."

"Allison, don't. You were a child then; even if you had been here, you wouldn't have been able to stop her." I set my hands on her shoulders, "Don't worry about it. Please. I'm getting married, I have a beautiful baby. I'm happy. Okay? I don't let Kate get to me anymore."

She smiles, stepping forward and hugging me. I lightly hug her back before I head into the woods.

The memanon is easy to find. The power drifts off it in waves, like a humming. It's where Paige died, and I knew Derek wouldn't look for me here.

He hobbles into my line of vision moments later and I help him sit beside it.

"You're a wonderful person."

"I don't want to do this, but I have to protect my family. An Alpha Pack is coming for my mate." I reply.

"Deucalion," he gasps, grasping my shoulders with his bony fingers, "Listen to me, Makaylah. Something terrible is on it's way. Something worse than the Alphas. You have to leave. Save yourself."

"We can ru-"

"No. Take your daughter and go. It's him they want."

"I am not leaving my husband alone against an Alpha Pack."

"Then you're a fool,"

"Let's just get this over with." I growl.

"Make it look like a mountain lion did this." He offers his neck. I fully shift, lunge forward and bite deeply into his throat at the same time I sink my claws into his chest. Growling, I rip through the artery savagely, spitting the excess out. Blood drips down my chin, covers my white shirt. He's dead. My chest heaves as power flows through me. My vision sharpens even more; every sense stronger. An Alpha. I sprint through the dark, my hair flowing backward.

The house is unlit except my bedroom when I enter it. Still bloody, I make my way into the bedroom; guilt making my heart heavy.

"Makaylah! Where the fuck were you?!" His eyes widen as they move over my appearance, "What did you do?"

I force myself to shift before I make eye-contact.

"I killed an Alpha." I sniffle, pulling my jacket off and tossing it in the clothesbasket.

"What? MK," He steps up and rests his hands on my cheeks.

"He was my college professor. He–He wanted to die. Derek," Tears blur my vision as sobs wrack my body. I didn't know killing an Alpha would hurt.

He turns his head to press his lips to the underside of my jaw–reaching down and pulling my shirt off.

"Kaylah, I love you. You didn't do anything wrong; he wanted to die." The blood soaked through the fabric, on my abdomen.

"You need another shower," he murmurs, one arm under my knees, the other under my lower back.

"Derek, I need to be close to you." I whimper.

"You want to...again?" He trails off.

"Not necessarily. I just don't want to be alone right now." I reply, biting my lip. He nods, stripping the rest of my clothes and pushing me into the shower. He gets in behind me, arms wrapped around my waist.

He doesn't do anything, just stays with me. Derek squirts shampoo into his hands and then run through my hair; massaging my scalp. I moan contentedly, leaning my head forward to let the water rinse it.

He doesn't say anything when I reach up and shampoo his soft hair, pecking him on the nose as I do.

"Derek, I can't wait to marry you."

He grins, reaching up and thumbing my ring. I haven't taken it off. I never do. I'm afraid if I do, I'll wake up alone again.

He washes off the blood on my stomach, resting his forehead against mine. We climb out, my fingers laced through his. Derek doesn't hesitate to grab a towel and wrap it around my body—gently.

"I love you, so damn much." I whisper.

"Why?" He replies, his arms around me again, "I'm nowhere near the same as I was when we were younger."

"No, you're better. You're not cocky and arrogant and you don't act like a jackass or make everything a joke. Derek, you're serious and intense and whenever I look at you my heart stops. Do you know how proud I am of you?" I say.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks.

"Why do you even bother asking? You know I'm going to say yes." I reply, closing my eyes when he does. It's not fast or rough or sexual. It's long, and lingering. Slow. When we break apart, I back into the bedroom, grab one of his tee shirts and pull it over my head. It brushes my knees.

"I love wearing your clothes," I whisper. He puts on a pair of sweats and slides into bed behind me, arm tight around my body. His lips press to the back of my neck; lulling me to sleep.

* * *

I wake up with a weight on my stomach. My scream's cut off with my windpipe being crushed. The Kanima is choking me.

"Jack...Son...Stop." I gurgle. Derek snarls, trying to scratch him or pry him off.

"Please!" I beg, "I didn't kill you!"

"Yes you did. You and your boyfriend watched me drown." It growls. That little boy. We-We were drunk and he fell in. Camden wouldn't let me save him. He was too busy grinding on my ass like a horny dickhead in the pool.

"I...tried...PLEASE!" I scream. That's when I slam both feet against its ribs, dragging my bottom claws down his stomach.

"Jackson." I say, "Help."

His eyes fade to blue and the Kanima slinks out the widow while I collapse onto the bed.

"Makaylah," Derek breathes, pulling me into his arms again, "I'm here. I'm right here."

"We have to do something. If we don't kill that thing it's going to kill me." I gasp.


	13. Chapter 13

TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 2X04 and beginning of 2X05.

I roll over restlessly, my throat still burning from where it's hands were on my throat. I reach up and run my fingers over it, closing my eyes. Derek sits up, in sync with me. He brushes my hands away from it and leans close to examine it.

"This looks horrible," He murmurs, "Are you in pain?" I nod.

He turns his head and brushes kisses across the strip of skin before I glance down where his fingers clutch my forearms as he takes away some of my pain; the black travels up his muscular forearms. I relax, foreheads pressed together as he takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I should've done more, I-"

"Don't. You have to learn not to blame yourself for everything that goes wrong, love." I find myself whispering in response, sitting up on my knees and setting my fingertips against his cheekbones. He closes his eyes, leaning into me.

"I'm going to go check on Brie," I tell him, "After that, I need to protect our daughter." Ignoring the pain, I stand up and walk down the hallway until I reach her doorframe. She's sat up in bed, looking out her window. The light from the full moon highlights her, lights up her pale skin the same way it does to her father's. She's grown more, again. Too fast. She looks at least a year older than when she went to bed earlier.

"Brielle, why are you still awake?" I murmur, tucking her black hair behind her ear. She loops her arms around my neck and sits in my lap, turning her cheek to rest it against my heart.

"Someone was outside."

"What?!" I glance out into the yard, examining all of the estate with my eyes. My arms tighten around her as I keep her close to me.

"You smell different," Her eyes narrow, eyebrows contracted just like Derek's.

"I'm an Alpha now,"

"Like Daddy?"

"Yeah," I reply, "Just like Daddy."

"Are you going to be sad all the time too?" She whispers. I move and sit cross-legged with my back against her headboard, combing my fingers through her soft curls. They touch the bottom of her shoulders, now.

"No, _Bambina_, Daddy's so sad because...a lot of bad people have hurt him." I murmur, listening to her even heartbeat, "More bad people than I ever had to deal with."

"Mommy?" She asks, after a moment of silence, "What was Grandma Talia like?"

"A lot like your dad. She was strong, and kind, and she loved all of us so much. Grandma was...brave. Talia protected all of us." I set my chin on the top of her head.

"I wanna be like her."

"Me too." I tell her, rocking us from side to side. Her eyes close as she takes a deep breath in.

"Please sing," She whispers, laying down under her covers next to me. I stroke through her soft hair more, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Which song?"

"Grandmama's." I smile, sitting down and singing the Italian lullaby my mother used to sing; hearing her sigh before she falls asleep, the same position as a leapfrog. I kiss her hair before I stand up and make my way back down the hallway into our bedroom. He's clicking through things on a laptop, biting his nails.

"Baby? What are you doing?" I squeeze myself between his pillows and his back, my chin on his collarbone, my legs on either side of him, as I knead his strong shoulders with my fingers. He groans lightly at my touch, relaxing more.

"I'm trying to find out information on the Kanima. We need to find out who it is."

"It's Jackson. I don't have any doubt it's Jackson."

"I don't think it is." He mumbles. I roll my eyes, but let him disagree by ducking my head down and kissing from one shoulder to the other. He growls, glancing over and making eye-contact with me. I smirk, leaving my lips against his skin longer and longer with every kiss against his flesh.

"Go to bed. It's three AM. I have work tomorrow, and you have a full day of starting to train with our daughter. She looks like a kindergartener, Der. We have to get her in to school next year."

"Where? The sheriff knows when Brielle was born."

"We'll take her into Blackfoot every day. No-one knows either of us, just Myra. And Myra only went by her married name." I reply, pressing my forehead to the base of his neck and trace the Triskele with my lips, brushing against it.

"I-Uh-I...Okay," He whispers in agreement, lightly growling at my actions. I grin at his reaction, dragging my fingertips up his sides, the skin soft. Derek shudders, straightening up as I tilt my head to move my light kisses down his spine. Seconds later, when I reach the small of his back, I find myself on my back with him hovering over me; my wrists pinned to the mattress above my head.

"You kissing my back like that makes sleeping the last thing I want to do right now." He murmurs, dragging his nose up my jaw and back down along the neckline of my shirt.

"I need some sleep before work, babe. I'm helping Mr. Harris with group projects." I reply, throwing my weight to flip us, straddling his hips. I don't grind my hips down on him like I would if I wanted sex, I set my cheek against the warm skin over his heart and set my hands on his shoulder-blades. He buries his face in my hair, taking a deep breath.

It doesn't take long for me to fall asleep.

(3rd Person)

Derek maneuvered himself out from under his fiance two hours later, standing up and pulling on his shirt and buckling his jeans silently. She was snoring, and he leaned in and kissed her forehead. Erica and Isaac were standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting sleepily.

"Remind me again why we're not telling Kaylah?"

"I don't want her getting in the middle of it. That thing wants her dead and I don't want to give it an extra opportunity."

"Is that why Boyd's staying here?" Isaac mumbled, running a hand through his honey curls, "I don't feel comfortable leaving her here with just him for protection. She's been like my sister for 7 years now."

"Isaac, Makaylah is going to be fine. We'll be back soon." Derek rolled his eyes as the three walked out of the house, locking the mountain ash lock on the door. He crossed his arms over his chest when Erica and Isaac dragged Jackson in to be tested with the Poison from the Kanima. The image of its hands on Makaylah's throat made him more venemous than usual.

"What is that?!" Jackson panicked as they shoved him to the floor.

"You know, Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake...And everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom." And he let some of it trickle down into the teen's mouth. He seized on the floor, paralyzed.

"You're still a snake, Jackson, just not the one we're looking for." And he turned around to head back to his Mate.

(Makaylah)

I wake up to Brielle curled into me, her head buried into the space between my neck and shoulder. My arms stay wrapped around her back as I lift her up and carry her on my hip as I pad into her room and help her dress. She giggles as I make my way down the wooden stairs, into the kitchen.

"Makaylah?" Boyd enters the room, arms crossed over his gigantic chest.

"Where's Derek?" I ask pointedly.

"I...Out..."

"Boyd. He's my fiancé. If you don't tell me where he went, I'll go find him myself."

The door swings open at my words, the three others trailing in. I purse my lips and duck away when he tries to kiss me.

"Go get ready for school if you want a ride. All of you." Our betas all obey, wordlessly.

"Baby?" He asks, lightly. I slam my plate down, ignoring him, "MK." I growl at him saying my name, "Talk to me. I know you're pissed, but...don't do this. You know it drives me insane when you give me the silent treatment." I push past him, handing Brielle her small plate of toast and a banana.

"Makaylah," he whispers as he steps up behind me: hands on my hips while he flattens himself against my back and peppers kisses up my neck, "Please,"

"I just wish you would stop acting like I can't handle any of this, Derek; I'm an Alpha. stop sheltering me."

"I'm just trying to protect you." he murmurs with his palms on either side of my neck, tilting his head up to kiss my forehead.

"Derek, I can protect myself."

"I know. I just don't want you to have to." Rolling my eyes, I go on my tiptoes to press my lips against his. He groans, fingers tight in the back of my shirt. When he realizes it, he pulls back and scans me.

"You're wearing my shirt."

"Well spotted," I mock in a British accent.

"Tease," He murmurs, leaning in and nipping the space behind my jaw and ear, "You know what seeing you in my clothes does to me."

"Sounds like a personal problem to me, dear." I pat his cheek before pushing him away and settling into my chair.


	14. Chapter 14

I grit my teeth as I glance down the crossbow, aiming directly for the center of a tree. _This was damn stupid._ I think as I release the trigger, flinching at the sound of metal scraping wood. His chest presses against my back, heart pounding against my spine. Fingers glide along my bear arms until he reaches my hands.

"Good, but lower your shoulder. You're too tense." His deep voice murmurs in my ear. I clear my throat and move forward, away from him. This time, the arrow pierces wood directly where I've aimed. I asked Chris to teach me to use Hunter weapons to defend my daughter if claws weren't enough. Well, that was my excuse.

"You need to tell me everything you know about the Kanima." I murmur as I turn to face him, the bow hanging loosely at my side. There. Out in the open without pretense. His green eyes glint as he crosses his arms over his broad chest, leaning up against a tree.

"You first," He replies in a cocky, lazy voice.

"South American Shapeshifter. Can't recognize its own reflection. Doesn't have a choice when it shifts." Is all I say. _It's also trying to kill me._

"Only kills murderers." He replies with a shrug. I growl, wrinkling my nose before I lunge. He blocks every single punch or kick, spinning me and shoving me up against the bark with his palm splayed out across my stomach. Snarling, I snap at his face before ducking out of his grasp and roundhouse kicking him in the jaw. Chris Argent reels back in shock before his arm crosses my throat, pinning me with his body, now. My chest heaves with short breaths, hearing him breathing even harder than I am. Our breaths mingle together, his face inches away from mine. His mouth lowers toward mine.

I shove him away from me, casting my eyes downward. Guiltily. He almost kissed me. _Chris fucking Argent almost just kissed me._

"I—I have to go." I mumble, pushing off with my left foot and sprinting. My thighs quake and burn in protest from lack of use. Once I reach the Nemeton, unintentionally, I stop. _What keeps bringing me here?_ Sucking in a harsh breath, my fingers close around the handles to the root cellar. Talia tried to take my memory of the night Paige died. She didn't want me to know this place.

_I heard Derek scream, an anguished sound that made my teeth grit together. Myra was asleep next to me. I'd been sick with food poisoning after a sleepover at Paige's house and my sister stayed beside me every night._

_Sliding out from under the comforter, I stepped into my sneakers. The leather was worn, fitted perfectly to my small feet. Sparing my sister a glance, I opened my bay window and threw myself over the edge. Closing my eyes, I ran as hard as I could until I found him, his heartbeat pounding against his chest. The door to the root cellar bursted open to reveal Peter standing, a limp body in his arms. Dark haired, bloody._

"_Who is…Peter, who is that?!" I whimpered as I reached them, seeing her face._

"_Her body rejected the bite." Is all he said as he moved away. My knees collapsed and I fell onto them against the dirt-packed ground, fingers digging into the earth. I could hear my best friend's sobs from below. Scooting until I could rest my back against the tree root, I closed my eyes. Derek couldn't know I was listening. All I could do to comfort him was to sit and be there. We stayed like that for hours; Derek crying with me, unable to fix it, listening and sobbing silently with him. Until warm fingers rested against my collarbone, trying to get my attention. Sniffling, I glanced up to meet familiar dark brown eyes. Talia. She stood me up, fingers hooked around my elbow._

"_Ssh," She whispered, pulling me to her. My face buried into her shoulder, arms tight around her as I cried into her._

"_I know. I know. You're going to be fine."_

"_It's not me I'm worried about," I said through hyperventilating breaths, "D-Derek…"_

"_He's going to be fine. He's just really going to need you in his life, MK." Her words were calming. Alphas have that effect, "Makaylah, Kali is going to take you home. OK?"_

"_I'm not leaving until I know he's okay."_

"_M-"_

"_I love him. I'm not leaving." At thirteen years old, I spoke toward Talia that way. No-one was brave enough to refuse. But, she wasn't __**my**__ Alpha. My father was. She sighed, but nodded. I watched her multicolored dress tail disappear as she descended the stairs into the cellar. Tears blurred my vision and I couldn't contain the crying._

"_Come here," Kali whispered, opening her arms. Kali was friends with my mother; eleven years younger. Mama took Kali under her wing, let her live in our house for a few months until she found a home with her Emissary. I stepped into her side, hiding my face in her shoulder. She wrapped one arm loosely around my shoulders, cheek against the top of my head._

_From what I'd gathered about her, she was unable to have children. I don't know how long I clung to Kali as I waited for Derek. Talia's heavy footsteps echoed as she came back up. My best friend was tucked into her side like a toddler, completely asleep. She was holding her fifteen-year-old son on her hip, his arms around her neck. I rushed forward until I was standing behind Derek. My forehead rested between his shoulders, nudging him once with my nose._

"_I'll come over later." I told the woman who was my second mother before returning my attention to Derek, "I love you, Der."_

_Rain was pounding against my back now, pelting me through my clothes._

"_Come on, Makaylah, I have to get you home. Your mother's going to have a heart-attack if she realizes you're gone." The younger Alpha grasped my wrist and tugged me along behind her in the darkness._

I suck in a hard breath before I make my way down the cement steps until I reach the bottom of the cellar, dropping easily onto the dirt floor. My heartbeat stutters when I see it. A long, white extended branch with a Celtic Six-Fold knot. That isn't what bothers me. It's all the dried, nearly black, blood coating it. One hand covers my mouth as I crouch down, the other sliding across the rough bark.

"I'm sorry this happened to you. He didn't mean to." I whisper, "Derek loved you, Paige. You're the reason he is who he is now. I'm sorry you died, but I'm also thankful…you made him stop acting like an ass. I wouldn't be with him now if you'd lived."

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I straighten up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"You need to freaking control your boyfriend!" Stiles roars into the phone.

"Stiles…Stiles, calm down. What's going on?"

"He tested _Lydia_ to see if she's the Kanima, and she failed."

"Lydia Martin? You've got to be kidding me." I curse under my breath, "What do you want me to do about it? Derek's not going to listen to me. He's trying to protect me, Stiles. The Kanima tried to kill me last night. He…He just doesn't want anything to happen to me."

"It can't be Lydia, she wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Please, talk to him. Try to get him to calm down."

"I'll try, Stiles, I'm on my way."

(3rd Person)

"You cannot do this!" Scott protests.

"No, he can't." A voice that makes his heart pound echoes in Derek's ears. He isn't surprised when he sees her crossing the field. Stiles has her wrapped around his little finger, so much that she's ready to defy her own mate. Her brown eyes light up with almost fiery anger as she steps between Boyd and Scott, one set of fingers wrapped around his wrist as her eyes burn bright red into their Beta's.

"Back down, Boyd." Her Alpha voice was smoother than her normal one. Terrifying. He whimpered and submitted, backing away. Scott growled from behind her, turning her hand over to link it with his. She was the big sister to Stiles and him that neither had ever had. He trusted her more than Derek.

"Mommy!" Brielle's small voice called out, coming out from behind the bleachers, trembling slightly. Boyd scared her when he'd been struggling with uncle Scott. Her long-lashed eyes were wide, the grass crunching below her feet as she made her way toward her family.

"Come here, baby girl." Sighed Makaylah, picking her daughter up and setting her on her hip. Her arms wound around her mother's neck, flickering between her Alpha parents. There was anger drifting between them. Their wolf-shaped auras were a muddy red, fur bristling.

"I'm not going to let you kill Lydia."

"Well, who says _**I'm**_ going to do it?" He smirks. Makaylah growled, glancing between Scott and Boyd warily. As if deciding who it was safe to choose. Whether or not she had the morals to defend Lydia, or to side with her mate and kill the girl. She swallowed heavily, feeling Brielle hide her face in her shoulder.

"Mommy, calm down. Daddy's getting angry." Her voice was calming, a reason for the female Alpha to roll back her shoulders and face him. What was right to teach their daughter? Killing the enemy is always the answer? No. Scott was in the right this time.

In answer to Derek's silent question of which side she really is on, her fingers reach over, slide down Scott's forearm until she can take his hand and clasp it with hers. Scott glances at down at the Alpha's hand in shock.

"Lydia doesn't know what she's doing." She murmured, looking up at him through thick black lashes.

**Modesto, California.**

Aiden smirked as the small pack him and Ethan had formed in a matter of months. Sixteen, including them. He leaned back, arms behind his head as he watched the girls. One in particular that did _anything_ to make him happy.

"Ember, come here." He beckoned her forward with a crooking finger. Ethan shot him a dark, disapproving look. The blonde's platinum sheet of hair fell down her back, shining against the sunlight brightly.

"Yes?" She nearly purred once she was close to him. His hands shot out and hauled her into his lap, tongue immediately thrusting into her mouth as his hands were everywhere at once; her hair, her ass, her thighs, up her shirt. In rogue, feral packs—like this one—there were no boundaries. His hands ripped through his beta's shirt as his teeth scraped her throat.

"Everyone, training. NOW!" Ethan shouted, herding the teenagers away from Aiden's newest Sexcapade. He lifted a rock in his palm and threw it hard enough to strike his twin on the top of the head roughly as he turned on his heels and left to follow the thirteen betas he cared for. If he were a true wolf with fur, it would be bristling. He hated Aiden for taking him away from their older sister. This life was never what he wanted—what their mother wanted. If Maria could see them from where she was, he knew she was disappointed.

He *69 dialed her, weak.

"Hi, this is Makaylah. Sorry I couldn't make it to the phone. Leave a message at the tone! Thanks!" Her voicemail said.

"Hey, sis. It's—It's Ethan. I can't tell you where I'm at or anything, but I just needed to hear your voice. I really miss you. And…I love you, Kay. Alright? I'll see you soon." And then he hung up, biting his lips to choke back the tears that threatened to consume him.

"Oh, fuck, Aiden!" He heard a cry from the girl, and winced. He hated that sound. And, since they'd become Alphas, he'd had to fucking hear it all the time. At the sound of something flashing behind him, he spun—claws extended, eyes burning red as he roared.

"Little Ethan Duchannes. You grew up quite well." A female voice, from his childhood, spoke. Kali, the Beta that lived with them for a small amount of time, was standing with two other Alphas. She was on the right of a blonde, muscular man with sunglasses. Power vibrated the air around him, strong posture.

"Kali, who's this?"

"My name's Deucalion."

**Beacon Hills, California.**

(Makaylah)

Derek's breathing turns hard when his eyes find my hand in Scott's, eyes flashing red. I snarl at him defensively, shifting Brielle further back on my hip. She whimpers.

"Daddy don't." Brie said, eyebrows knitted together like his, "Don't hurt him."

"I'm not going to hurt him, baby girl. I promise." He tells her, relaxing and kissing the end of her nose playfully. I cling to her. Derek tilts his head to press his lips against my cheek. I purse my lips and glare up at him.

"Stay out of this, Makaylah."

"No. I'm not going to. This is _my_ life on the line. If Lydia dies and she _isn't_ the Kanima, that's on me. That's my shoulders it lands on, and it's me who has to bear that for the rest of my life. I'll feel the same guilt you feel every day." He winces at my words, "Do you want that for me?"

"I don't have any other choice. I can't let her kill you." His palm curls around my cheek, stroking the bone with the pad of his thumb. I shrug, but take off after Scott.

Brielle hides her face in my shoulder, shielding herself from view. Scott leads me into an alcove out of view of the others.

"We have to stop them," he whispers.

"I know. We have to get Lydia out of here." I say, "I can't stop him completely, but I can distract him. Take Brielle with you. She'll be safer if she's with the others. Scott, anything happens to my daughter and I'll kick your ass, got it?"

Brie hops down and takes his hand. He laughs at how tiny her hand is in his.

"I love you, Brielle. I want you to listen to Uncle Scott, okay? Do whatever he says until you're with me or daddy again."

"I love you too, mommy." She whispers. I bend down and press my lips against the top of her head, watching her walk down the hallway with Scott. Just outside of the library, I watch Stiles and Lydia walk up to the doors. Stiles lifts her up and she wraps her little legs and arms around him, watching me over his shoulder as he carries her.

"Makaylah, I have a plan. Just…trust me."

"Okay." I whisper in response, crossing the hall until I'm outside. As expected, palms collide with my shoulders as he shoves me up against the wall. His hard body pins me up against the brick as his eyes lock on mine.

"If the Betas are killing Lydia, you don't need to be there," I growl, curling my fingers around the base of his neck and pull. He groans the second my mouth comes into harsh contact with his. Derek's fingers dig deeply into the skin of my lower-back, bruising me. They'll heal. I slide my fingers into his hair, tugging hard enough to hurt him as I lower his head into the crook of my neck. Stiles, Lydia, Brielle, Allison, and Jackson cross the parking lot and climb into the jeep while I have him distracted. A whimper comes from the back of my throat when his teeth close around skin, tongue sliding across.

It's then I actually realize I want this—him—against the wall. If it weren't in full view of the cars, I would do it too.

"Derek, stop. We need to…to stop." I pant, "We're in public."

"You are such a damn tease," He whispers, hot breath washing over my skin and sending goose-bumps up my arms. He runs his nose along my jaw, down the curve of my throat, along the neckline of the shirt, and up the other side. Moaning, I arch my back into him. He uses this to his advantage, arm wound around my body to keep me flat against him. He groans in response when a moan claws its way out of my throat again.

"Didn't you say you want to try car sex with me?" I whisper in his ear, dragging my fingers down _his_ jaw, "Since you sent the others back to the house to re-group…"

I let out a laugh when he laces our fingers together and half-sprints to the Camaro. Distracting him won't be difficult. The car squeals as it peels out of the parking lot. Derek's eyebrows knit together while he floors the gas pedal. We drive until we're in the middle of a clearing, one we used to hideout in when we didn't want to spend time with Laura and Myra.

"Der-" I stop speaking, and breathing, when his lips press against the underside of my chin, grasping the hem of his shirt, knuckles brushing against the flesh of my hips, and ripping it over my head. I growl, feeling my vision sharpen when his stubble brushes against my chest. He moves kisses down my stomach, as far as he can reach. My head falls back, losing myself in him like I always do. Growling, with nails elongating, I drag my claws across his scalp as I crash our lips together, biting his bottom lip hard enough to break the skin. His blood, coppery and dark and enticing, floods both our mouths.

"I thought you hated being rough."

"I'm mad at you, so I'm going to be rough with you if I want to. It's not like you're exactly protesting, now are you?" I whisper, slowly moving to straddle him with every word and grinding my hips down for emphasis.

"You think you can handle me rough?" He teases.

"You've never been with an Alpha. Let's find out if _you_ can handle _me_, babe." I grin, leaning in and swiping my tongue in a strip across his jaw. He moans, fingers digging into my thighs.

"God, Derek." I whisper, "You're driving me crazy, you know that? You need to stop being so damn protective of me. I went nine years defending myself. I don't need you to protect me like I'm some fragile human…"

I stop myself at the expression that floods his features. I shouldn't have said that. He thinks I'm talking about Paige.

"I didn't mean that…I-" He cuts me off by smothering my words with his palm over my mouth, lifting me back over the console and into my own seat.

"I get it. You're not Paige. Fine."

"Derek-"

"No. I understand."

"DEREK!" I shout, grasping both sides of his face with my palms and turning his head to face me, "I was not talking about Paige. She has nothing to do with this! I'm trying to tell you that you don't have to fucking act like I'm made of glass!"

"Maybe I like protecting you, Makaylah! Maybe it makes me feel like I'm making up for _not_ protecting you from Kate!" He blurts out, suddenly.

"Nothing you do is going to change everything that happened because of her! I love you, okay? I love you so much and I know how much you love me. Just…stop with this Kanima stuff."

Just then, Isaac howling cuts our conversation short.

"You're either with me or against me with Lydia."

"Then I guess I'll see you at home." I reply, shaking my head as I rip open the Camaro door and slam it shut behind me. As I watch him drive off, my heart sinks low into my stomach, gnawing on my insides. _Why can't he just listen to me for once?_

"Help!" A female's voice chokes, "Please, help me!"

I turn to find a female beta with her stomach slashed through stumbling toward me. I catch her under her arms, keeping her stationary. Drawing her slim arm around my shoulders, I help her into a sitting position in front of an ash tree.

"What happened?" I whisper, pushing her hair out of her face.

"My…My Alphas…They killed my Pack." She whimpers, meeting my eyes with glowing blue ones.

"Alphas? As in plural?"

"Aiden and Ethan Duchannes. I watched them kill the others." And my heart stops.

"C'mon, I know where we can get you patched up." I tell the teenager, helping her limp. We walk in silence, side-by-side.

"Do you know them? Your heartbeat skipped when I said their names." The blonde pants.

"They were my younger brothers, until they ran away." I growl before raising my voice at the door to the Animal Clinic, "DEATON!"

He stops short at the sight, brown eyes inspecting us with wide curiosity. No disgust or mirth, simple curiosity at our situation.

"My brothers hurt her. Is there any way you can help?"

"Makaylah, if you would turn the sign on that door to closed and follow us into the back room." The twins' Beta wraps an arm around his shoulders as he guides her into the room. Lifting my phone to call Scott, I pause.

1 MISSED CALL, 1 NEW VOICEMAIL.

_"Hey, sis. It's—It's Ethan. I can't tell you where I'm at or anything, but I just needed to hear your voice. I really miss you. And…I love you, Kay. Alright? I'll see you soon."_ Tears roll down my cheeks at the sound of his voice. Gods, I miss them. Now they're killers, cold-blooded and ruthless. Losing a pack member is like losing a limb; a piece of you is torn out.

"What's your name?" I ask while the Vet works on her, sitting in a chair beside the icy metal table.

"Ember. Ember Rowe."

"This is important, Ember. How many were in your Pack before my brothers…"

"Sixteen of us." I choke on the words, tears burning my vision again. Sixteen. Ripping a piece of yourself from your body sixteen times. Sobs wrack my body, my palm covering my mouth. A wave of nausea churns through me and I spin to the trashcan before emptying the contents, hunched over and coughing up the excess. Alan Deaton's palm rubs soothing circles between my shoulder-blades, murmuring quietly. He tells me he's given her a sedative called Ketamine, to knock her out so her body will heal on its own. I lift the small-framed girl and throw her over my shoulder before carrying her out of the building.

"Makaylah?" He calls.

"Yeah?"

"Ethan and Aiden are just lost right now. They'll find their way back. You're an example to them. They don't want to let you down."

"Thank you." I smile at him, carrying the Beta through shadows until we reach the house. I lay her out on the couch, making sure to be careful of her wounds. I link my fingers through hers, comforting her the way my mother used to when one of us felt ill or injured. Fifteen slashes to the stomach, chest, and back. Ruthless. My thoughts drift. _Did Ethan try to kill her? Or was it Aiden?_

Derek stumbles in, hair sticking up slightly as he half drags Isaac in while Boyd easily carries our blonde beta in the house in one arm, her eyes flitting nervously around the room. My daughter follows, half-asleep as Boyd takes her hand and leads her up the stairs with a shaky-legged Isaac to go to their respective rooms.

"You were right the whole time. That Kanima…it _is_ Jackson." I watch my fiance's shoulders roll back as he looks at Ember, lying on the couch, "Who's…"

"She's Ethan and Aiden's Beta. They killed their entire Pack tonight, Derek. She's the only one left. She doesn't have anyone else."

"Just like us." He mumbles, sitting down on the floor beside me. Derek winds his arm around my waist, burying his face in my throat and inhaling, "I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to be so-"

"Stop apologizing." I grit my teeth again as I take some of her pain. It shoots up my arm with the lines of black I absorb.

"Stop it. Too much of that is going to kill you."

We take turns taking her pain for the rest of the night, wrapped up together.


	15. Chapter 15

Makaylah falls asleep in his arms, straddling his legs, face buried into his neck. He wraps his around her slim waist, thumb brushing the skin at her lower-back. He brushed her hair back over hershoulder, tracing the line of skin with his nose. He likes the feel of her soft skin underneath the tip of his nose, and the scent that drifted off of that skin—the intoxicating smell that's stayed in his mind for years now. He's always loved how she smelled. There was several times that she fell asleep in his bed at the house right before everything shot to hell, when he'd hold onto her like this and just let that flowery scent engulf him. He thought about the time Talia came in during one of these times, when his face was lowered into her neck, hands rested where her thin body curved inward.

_ "Enjoying yourself?" His mother's voice caused him to slowly open his eyelids, but not pull away. He smiled into her skin, looking up at Talia. The TV was still on, still on Spiderman Two—her choice._

_ "Mmhm," He murmured into Makaylah, keeping eye-contact with his Alpha._

_ "Have you told her?"_

_ "Told her what, mom?" He asked as he leaned away from her skin grudgingly. The brunette shifted in her sleep, absently moving until her cold nose was buried into his neck with fingers accidentally gliding down his chest. He shuddered._

_ "That you're in love with her. I can see it. Maria sees it. We all do." She came further into the room, the bed only slightly dipping with her weight as she sat at the very edge, "You know how much we love her. I just don't want to see either of you hurting if something happens…"_

_ "You said that it's only wrong in the same Pack. We're in different Packs."_

_ "She's thirteen, Derek. She isn't strong like you. Makaylah is your best friend. I can't stand it if you get hurt protecting her or vice-versa. Just, be careful. Okay?" Talia brushed a kiss across her only son's forehead, squeezing his shoulder and slipping out in silence. Fifteen-year-old Derek shifted her higher in his lap, knees on either side of his hips. She moved willingly, almost as if she wanted it more than he did. Lazily, her arms wound around his shoulders. Tilting his head up, his lips pressed against the crown of her head._

_ Her brown eyes fluttered open slightly._

_ "Hmm…Derek?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "I should probably get home."_

_ "Nah. I called your mom as soon as you fell asleep and you're staying here for the entire weekend."_

Her quiet moan broke his lapse from reality. She'd woken up to his nose drifting along. Derek hadn't even realized that he'd drifted down to her sternum until now; he was distracted.

"If that's your new way of waking me up, I'm definitely sleeping more often." Her breathing was ragged. He smirked, moving his face back toward hers and letting his lips hover over hers. There was a tether between them, stronger than ever. When Derek breathed out, she breathed it in. When her shaky breaths came out, he took in her air.

"What time is it?"

"Nine AM. Brielle's asleep in her bedroom, and the others got themselves to school. I told them both of us needed to stay here with Ember." He told her, dragging his forefinger along her soft bottom lip.

(Makaylah)

"What would you say to getting married right now?" I whisper, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

"Right now?"

"Yeah. Take Brie to the courthouse with us. We can have one of the betas sit with Ember until we get back." I scan his teal eyes, resting my forehead against his as I curl my fingers around the back of his neck. A teenage giggle bursts through me as he lifts me up, my legs drawn around him and spins me a couple of times before stopping. I let out a small gasp when he sprints up the stairs, turns the shower water on and pulls my shirt over my head.

The thrum of a motor as the Camaro pulls into the driveway.

"Isaac's here." He breathes, tugging his shirt off. The shift takes over at the sight of his bare skin and I growl at him, baring my teeth. Derek sends me a cocky smile, like the boy I loved when I was young.

I go on my tiptoes until I reach the shell of his ear, "Submit." A shiver rolls through his body at this, "Submit, Derek. Make me your Alpha." His eyes turn glowing red when I kneel down in front of him, undoing his belt and ripping his jeans and boxers down his legs. He kicks them off into a corner. I smirk up and him before ducking my head and taking as much of him into my mouth as possible.

"Oh God, Kaylah!" Derek whimpers. His long pale fingers slide into my hair, urging me on. Flattening my tongue against the underside, moving it around a few times. His hands tighten, causing me to suck harder. When his hips start moving forward and back, trying to make me take him deeper, I pull away and stand up straight.

"If you want me, you are going to submit to me." I tell him, reaching behind me and unclasping my bra. His eyes trace over the bare skin wantonly. I strip the last remaining piece of fabric and step into the tile chamber. He follows slowly, one hand on each side of my head.

"I'll only submit to you if you submit to me." He whispers, "Equals in the Pack."

Every nerve ending spikes with electricity at his words. I nod, pulling him into a wet kiss, tongues fighting as always. I can hold my own this time, and prove it by flipping our positions, pinning his arms to the wall.

"You. First."

He tilts his head to one side—bearing his throat. I press myself against him, our bodies fitting together perfectly. Letting my lips follow the line of his neck with this hunger building inside of me, I graze the skin with my teeth before sinking them in.

"Makaylah!" He whimpers, loudly. Derek grinds into me at the motion, hands sliding down. One presses between my legs, teasing me until I pull back from the bite. It it'll heal; just scar over. He wraps me around him again in the shower, backing me up until my spine meets the wall directly where the water pelts his back.

My fingers knead his strong shoulders almost reflexively. He sweeps his tongue across my pulse point, sucking on it before he bites me. It isn't a burst of pain like I expect; my body quakes, hear floods my abdomen, and a tightening in my lower stomach.

"Derek," I moan and then his lips are on mine again. Softer this time, all urgency gone.

"We need to get going, love." He murmurs, grasping my shampoo bottle from behind me and squirting it into his palm. I close my eyes, his fingers running through to lather it before massaging my scalp under the water.

"You seriously don't want to do that?" I whisper, gesturing between us.

"Not right now. The next time I make love to you, I want you to be my wife. Not against a shower wall." I meet his real eyes, biting my bottom lip. He hears it when my heart picks up.

"You're amazing. Did you know that?" I tell him, pecking his lips.

* * *

(3rd Person)

Jackson sent the boys a cocky smile as he passed them in the hallway at school. Erica and Boyd were speaking in low voices next to his locker, low enough that Scott barely heard them.

"What do you think they're going to do with her?"

"She's an Omega. I don't know if Derek can trust her, not with Makaylah. You've seen how protective he is of her." Erica replied, eyes tracing the air around them and landing on Scott, "We'll talk about it later. I'm so excited to see them when we get back."

"Why?"

"Isaac didn't tell you? They're going to the courthouse to get married. That's why he went home; to watch Ember."

* * *

(Makaylah)

I laugh when Derek struggles with a button-up shirt.

"Oh God, just stop it." I say quietly, shoving the fabric off of his body and making my way over to the closet. My fingers close around the neck of a dark gray Henley. He never wears it, but I like it. A laugh comes from my chest when his arms snake around my abdomen, lips brushing against the flesh at the back of my neck as he whispers into my skin. I loll my head to one side as his mouth places tiny kisses forward, until he finds the deep bite mark he left.

"I love you," He mutters.

"Wear this." Turning on my heels, I spin to face him, my arms loosely wrapped around his strong shoulders with the fabric hanging from my fingertips. Derek kisses the end of my nose before he takes the shirt from me to tug it over his head and covering his rippled abdomen. He smirks down at me, eyeing the panties and bra I'm still in. I've spent the better part of twenty minutes helping him dress.

"I think you should wear this." Derek whispers, smiling. He holds up a white lace that hits my mid-thighs with an open back.I grin back in response, thumbing across his cheekbone as I peck him on the lips.

"You're getting better at picking out clothes." I reply, pulling the fabric up my body, "Derek, can you zip me up?"

A shudder rolls through me when his knuckles brush my spine, moving up and pressing a kiss against the back of my neck. I lick my lips nervously when he moves his large hands around to rest on my hips, keeping me against his hard chest.

* * *

The courthouse is almost silent, the only sound brief heels clacking or speaking on the phone. I don't exactly listen. I'm too distracted, looking around rapidly until my eyes settle on the exit. Derek's fingers tighten where they're laced.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He murmurs, free hand reaching up to run along my jaw. Smiling up at him, I nod.

"I know."

* * *

(3rd Person)

Derek couldn't look away from her the whole ceremony, however childish that was.

He couldn't believe she was his. That she wanted him. He'd loved her since he was thirteen, when she was eleven. She'd punched another sixth grader when he made a comment about Derek—called him a dick. Maria and Nikolas were out of town, so Talia came in to take her.

She was suspended for three weeks, but...MK felt it was worth it. That was the second he knew he loved her. He let Paige and Kate in the way of that.

"Do you take Makaylah Alessia Duchannes to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The Justice asked.

"Yes," he murmured. 'I Do' was to cliché for them.

"And do you, Makaylah, take Derek hale to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yeah... I do." She wrinkled her nose playfully.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Congratulations." Her heart fluttered. Derek was hers. Finally all hers. He swooped in and gave her a long, lingering peck.

* * *

"I love you, Mrs. Hale." He whispers.

"And I love you," I tell him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Takes place in 2x07! Taking this extremely AU for Second Season. It's a shorty, but I loves it! Honeymoon timmme.**

My husband's hands are clenched firmly on my waist and his mouth hungrily nips at my bottom lip. There's no sweetness to his tongue's invasion into my mouth. He reaches down, grasps my leg with his large hand, and hikes it up to wrap around his waist then cups my ass and continues to assault my mouth with delicious flicks of his tongue. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on.

I reach for his left hand and plant a kiss on his wedding ring, a plain platinum band matching my own. "Mine," I whisper.

"Yes, yours." He agrees, "And you're mine, Mrs. Hale."

"I'm never, ever going to get tired of hearing that." I whisper, wrapping both sets of fingers around the back of his neck and pulling him back to me. He laughs at my eagerness, but obliges. His palm moves away from my backside and around to stroke the outside of my thigh.

"I love you. I love you so much, Makaylah Hale."

"I love you too, Derek Hale. My Derek." I find myself saying, pecking his nose before jumping up and snaking my other leg around his slim hips, "Bed. Now."

"I don't think I can make it all the way up the stairs, baby." I shiver at the low tone of his voice. _Will I ever stop wanting him all the time?_ The silence in the Lake House is deafening. Talia and my mother bought this when we were young. It used to be our emergency escape. Where the children and human members of our family were to go if anything ever happened. If it hadn't been the Lunar Eclipse, the Humans in the Hale house could've gotten out. My family, now, I suppose. It was _my_ sister's death that brought me back to Beacon Hills, my Uncle that was the Alpha that Derek killed. And my family that died in the fire.

"What's wrong?"

"Just…thinking."

"That's dangerous. What about?"

"Laura and Cora would be my sisters. Talia would be my mom and Peter would be my uncle." I tell him. His face lights up, eyes glinting.

"And Aiden and Ethan are my brothers. Myra would've been my sister. Maria and Nikolas would be my parents as well. It's no different than how it's been our entire lives. Our families have always, always been family to eachother. My mother was waiting for me to get off my ass and snag you before someone else did. I'm regretting it now. Camden touched you." He cups my cheek. I groan at the feel of skin-on-skin, taking his fingers to lace them through mine and then lead him up the staircase of the large estate I inherited from our families. Derek slams me against the first landing wall, burying his face into the juncture of my neck and shoulder. A moan tears through my chest as his teeth scrape against my skin.

"Why does this house have so many damn stairs?" He growls unhappily.

"Only 7 more stairs, baby. It's not that difficult." I reply, jogging ahead of him. He grumbles, scooping me up bridal-style as he makes his way toward the bedroom I've set up for us. When he sees the black duffel bag in the corner, one eyebrow raises.

"Derek, lay down on the bed, close your eyes, and wait for me." I growl in my Alpha voice, my vision going sharper; glowing red. He nods slowly, backing up until his knees meet the mattress. I watch my husband's lithe body scoot until he was lying on the bed with his head on his pillow. Adrenaline pumps hard through my veins, my heartbeat increasing at the idea of what I'm about to do. I take the duffel bag into the bathroom with me. Biting my lips nervously, I unzip it. I strip down and then pull on the white lace panties he bought me when I went shopping at the mall a week ago, clasping the matching bra in the front. Then I close my fingers around the metal and pull it up until I have all of it in my hands, wrapped around my arms.

Giving him no warning, I throw one leg over both of his to straddle his hips.

"Der, I want to try something. Do you trust me?"

"With my life." He whispers, nodding with his eyes still shut. I grin, taking the chain Stiles let me have, blushing after I'd fessed up to why I wanted it, wrapping it around his wrists and tie them above his head; the chain around the headboard, and lock it with a heavy padlock I convinced Allison to get for me. His heartbeat slams harder against his chest as his beautiful eyes flash open to meet mine.

"You…You're tying me to the bed?" He says, dumbfounded.

"Yes."

"I can't touch you if you do that."

"I know." I lean into his ear, brushing my lips against it, "That's the point, love. I'm in control this time."

He simply growls at me, tugging on the chains. Thankfully, they don't budge.

"Who on earth did you get these from?! They're strong, and they fucking smell like Scott McCall."

"You can thank Stiles for this. Well, Stiles and Allison. She gave me the lock." I don't let him speak anymore. His mouth moves fiercely with mine as his hips buck up into mine. A moan claws its way out of my throat and I grasp his Henley in my fingers and rip it off of his torso.

"I thought you liked my shirt?"

"I like it better on the floor." I grumble, leaning in and dragging my lips across the hard surface of his torso, making my way down across the ridges in his stomach. He grinds up into me again, groaning in frustration. I skim my palms up and down the skin, across his arms, the divot of his collarbone, his jaw. Caressing him.

"Derek," I whimper, rolling my hips down against his.

"I want to touch you," He nearly whines. I ignore it, scooting up his chest until I can reach his arm. It's folded over his head as he grips the posts of the headboard. His skin is so soft, I think as I trail kisses down his arm until I reach his shoulder. The Alpha growls up at me, pulling on the chains in vain attempt to break free. I drag my tongue across a strip of skin across his neck.

"Derek, I want to lick your stomach. Can I?" I know how much it sets him off, because of Kate.

"God, yes." He groans. I smirk at his responsiveness.

"If you want me to stop, just tell me. OK? If it bothers you at all, tell me." I tell him, scanning his teal eyes. My husband stares up at me with a hooded gaze underneath thick black lashes, a heated stare that I can't think straight. Shaking off the dazed state he puts me in, I kiss and lick my way down his salty skin, sucking in places until I leave hickies. When I reach his abdomen and lick across his abs, he doesn't react like normal. His hips buck roughly into mine, his belt buckle hitting the space between my legs. I moan, throwing my head back before I trace the little strip of skin above his jeans; following the dip across the waistband with my fingers before unbuttoning his pants and ripping them down his legs to throw them behind me. Derek's body was responding, his wrists turning purple with the effort to touch me. I anchor my thumbs into his boxers and tug them down until he's undressed completely.

"You're wearing too many clothes, Makaylah." Derek uses my full name more and more. A loud gasp flies through my lips when he sits up slightly, and bites down on the front-clasp bra. It pops open—just from his freaking teeth.

"A little anxious, love?" I whisper, throwing the garment somewhere with his.

"You have no idea." He mumbles. I am too. I've been wanting him since he told me he wouldn't do this again until we were married. I toss the last scrap of fabric on my body into the growing pile and go to lower myself on him. He stops me by nudging my nose with his.

"Condom," He warns, "You said you don't want another baby yet."

"I just need you." I breathe, dropping myself down until we're connected. One person. I gasp when Derek flips me, tangling the chains as he moves on top of me.

"I may not be able to touch you, but I can do this." He says quietly as he moves. I head falls back as short, broken pants burst through my lips with each thrust.

"Why did you and Cam separate?" He asks from his place on the floor next to the fireplace.

I take a deep breath before I speak.

"I already told you that Camden came and then went to sleep. But, I didn't tell you that I got out of bed and…took care of it myself in the shower…" I swallow heavily, "I came saying your name, and Cam heard it." I almost miss Derek's low growl at my words.

"You said my name?"

"I've been saying your name since my first wet dream, you silly, insatiable man." He freezes at my words, spinning me into his lap until I'm sitting astride his thighs.

"Careful. You might just get round two if you keep talking like that." Derek growls, kissing my bare shoulder affectionately.

"I'm tired, Derek. Can we please go to bed? I want to sleep in bed next to my husband for the first time." I feel myself smirking. Derek laughs once, a barking sound, and throws me over his shoulder. I feel myself burst out in giggles at the caveman action just before my back hits the mattress and he hovers over me.

"Mrs. Hale." He whispers again, lifting me with one hand splayed out across my lower back before laying me on the sheets and climbing in next to me. I press my forehead and nose into his as I curl into him. His strong arms keep me tightly drawn against his chest, closing his eyes. I rest my palm against the curve of his neck, the other cupping his stubbled cheek.

"Mr. Hale, I think you've actually worn me out." I whisper, my eyelids heavy.

"Considering we just christened every inch of this house, you should be exhausted. I am, and I plan on exhausting you for the next seven days since I have you all to myself." His face nuzzles into my neck, the short stubble brushing across my skin with small scratches. I moan at the feel. It tightens my stomach and he grins.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

We hardly get dressed within the entire week we're in the house. Most of the time, we don't need the clothes. Typical newlyweds, I guess. Although, Derek and I have never been able to keep our hands to ourselves around eachother. Even before we were together, we had to be touching _all the time_. It was some sort of comfort complex. If we watched a movie, we always sat close enough for our thighs to touch or our arms to press together. We're still very much like this. We sleep with either our legs tangled together, our fingers entwined, or our arms around eachother.

"I don't want to go," I whisper, as I curl up beside him on the couch, tucking my legs beneath me and resting my head against his shoulder. His arm wraps around my shoulders with his cheek pressed against the top of my head. on the last day of our honeymoon. He cups my face, bends down, and seals his lips against mine gently.

"Brielle. We need to get home to our daughter." Derek whispers.

"Right." I reply quietly, kissing him on the cheek, "I think we need a break from sex."

He laughs tiredly, shifting me into his lap, arms looped around my waist. I cuddle up to him, nuzzling his neck with my face. I love being close to him.

My phone, turned on for the first time, buzzes and I answer.

"Isaac? What's wrong?...Oh, God, I'll be there." I hang up quickly.

"What's going on?"

"Our house was condemned by the state. They found the dented wall in the basement and declared it unsafe to live in. All of our stuff is in the old train house downtown." I sigh.


End file.
